Whitman's Voice, Part 2

Welcome to celebrate Poe - episode 387 - what did Whitman sound like part two - in the previous episode, my big concern was coming up with a voice for the imaginary ghost of Walt Whitman that sounded definitely distinct from my natural voice as George, as well as embodying the communication styles of Walt Whitman.  And by the end of this episode, I hope you Will agree that I came up for a valid voice to represent the writer.

Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Poe.

Transcript

Welcome to celebrate Poe - episode 387 - what did Whitman sound like part two - in the previous episode, my big concern was coming up with a voice for the imaginary ghost of Walt Whitman that sounded definitely distinct from my natural voice as George, as well as embodying the communication styles of Walt Whitman.  And by the end of this episode, I hope you Will agree that I came up for a valid voice to represent the writer.

I was working with perplexity.AI in hopes of developing Techniques for Incorporating Fitful, Rising and Falling Rhythms in Whitman’s Free Verse Style.  You see, Whitman’s rhythm is often compared to the motion of waves—sometimes regular and strong, sometimes looser and more subdued.

Perplexity.AI suggested to Allow your voice to alternate between passages of strong rhythmic emphasis (clear beats, heightened energy) and softer, less stressed lines.  But at the same time, Don’t try to impose a strict meter; instead, let the natural flow of Whitman’s syntax and punctuation guide you, much as waves rise and fall without a fixed pattern.

One way of accomplishing this would be to Divide lines into natural intonation groups or tone units, guided by punctuation and meaning., as well as Pausing briefly at commas or dashes, and lingering longer at periods or after especially resonant phrases.  And to Vary the length and placement of pauses to create a sense of unpredictability, echoing Whitman’s “fitful” rhythm.

Another technique is to ientify passages where Whitman repeats certain patterns or structures—these are moments where you can let your delivery become more rhythmic and regular, like the “larger waves” in his analogy.
In between, relax your delivery, letting lines drift into more conversational or weakly rhythmic territory, creating contrast and dynamic movement.

And understand that  Some lines will naturally contain more main stresses—let these lines swell in volume or intensity, then allow softer, less stressed lines to recede, creating the sensation of rising and falling energy.

Also to Read Aloud and Adjust by Feel - Whitman’s free verse is designed to be experienced aloud. Read passages multiple times before recording, listening for where the rhythm feels strong and where it loosens.

Trust your ear and intuition to find the right moments to build momentum and when to let it dissipate, as Whitman’s poetry invites a negotiation between rhythmic expectation and natural speech.

To summarize how these technique can be applied:

Shift between strong and weak rhythmic delivery
Use syntax and punctuation to guide your pauses
Emphasize repeated patterns, then relax
Let some lines rise in energy, others fall
Read aloud, adjust rhythm by feel

By blending these techniques, your vocal performance will echo Whitman’s fitful, rising and falling rhythms—sometimes surging with energy, sometimes ebbing into quiet reflection—mirroring the sea-like movement that defines his free verse style.

All these techniques are certainly valid and and it would be great if I could easily remember them, but that just might be a little bit too much to ask.

Up to this point, the ai bot had given me some great information from a theoretical point of view, but I came up with the idea that afternoon - completely by accident while I was playing around - to purse my lips when I spoke as whitman. The major benefit from that at first was that the character who spoke as Whitman sounded quite different from me as George, and head and almost otherworldly characteristic of communicating Whitmans rising and falling rhythms.

I had tried before to use a gravely voice to sound like an older man, but that really played a number on my voice - it just wasn't very convincing and I ended up hoarse.

So I decided to purse my lips while speaking as equipment - making an O with my lips as though I was blowing out a birthday candle on a cake - and then playing with the words and giving them a distinct emphasis - to me that began to sound very Whitman-liket.   Perplexity AI started giving me some information that was very supportive regarding the process of person my lips while speaking as Whitman - though I have to admit it is a strange feeling to be brainstorming with a machine.

The AI said that Pursing your lips as you voice Whitman can serve as a nuanced symbol for his celebration of sexual freedom, particularly in the context of his poetry’s bold embrace of the body, desire, and nonconformity. Whitman’s work is renowned for breaking societal taboos about sex and for calling readers to shed the shame imposed by restrictive norms, embracing sexuality as a natural, joyful part of human experience.

Then it went on to say that this was akin to a sensual suggestion in Whitman's communication. The reason is that the lips are a central symbol of intimacy and sensuality in Whitman’s poetry. Pursed lips can evoke the anticipation of a kiss or the act of holding back desire, both of which are present in Whitman’s erotic verse. This gesture subtly references the physicality and longing that Whitman so openly celebrates, especially in his poems about same-sex love.

And the bot also said that In a society that often demanded silence and self-restraint regarding sexuality, Whitman’s poetry pushed for openness. Pursing the lips—suggesting both the urge to speak and the urge to kiss—can symbolize the tension between societal repression and personal liberation. It becomes a physical metaphor for Whitman’s call to “break away from the uptight societal constraints about sex and see it for the natural act that it was”.

Invitation to Intimacy: Whitman’s poems invite the reader into a space of shared vulnerability and pleasure. The act of pursing your lips as you perform can create a sense of intimate invitation, mirroring the way Whitman’s verse seeks to draw others into a world where sexual freedom is not only accepted but celebrated.

Personal Embodiment of Whitman’s Message: By physically engaging with the lips—a site of both speech and erotic contact—you embody Whitman’s belief in the unity of body and soul, word and flesh. This aligns with his vision of poetry as a space where sexual and spiritual openness are intertwined.

The computer pointed out that pursing your lips while voicing Whitman can symbolize the sensual anticipation, the challenge to repression, and the invitation to intimacy that are at the heart of his celebration of sexual freedom. It’s a gesture that, in the context of Whitman’s poetry, transforms a moment of restraint into an affirmation of desire, connection, and liberation.

It also pointed out that Pursing your lips as you perform Whitman can indeed evoke his celebration of the human body and love, both symbolically and sonically. Whitman’s poetry is renowned for its frank embrace of physicality, sensuality, and the interconnectedness of body and soul. The lips, as a site of both speech and intimacy, are central to Whitman’s imagery—he often writes about kisses, embraces, and the tactile experience of love.

By pursing your lips, you draw attention to the mouth as a vessel of both language and affection, physically enacting the union of body and spirit that Whitman so often celebrates. This gesture can also subtly reference the anticipation of a kiss or the intimacy of touch, echoing Whitman’s depictions of love—both platonic and erotic—as direct, embodied experiences. In poems like “The Wound-Dresser,” the lips become a site of memory, affection, and vulnerability, reinforcing the idea that the body is not just a metaphor but a living, feeling presence.

In performance, this technique invites you—and your listeners—into Whitman’s world, where bodily expression is a source of pride, connection, and joy, and where love is celebrated in all its forms.

The bot goes on to say that pursing your lips as you perform Whitman can indeed reflect his idea of embracing bodily pleasure openly, both symbolically and in the spirit of his poetry. Whitman’s work, especially in collections like Leaves of Grass, is renowned for its unabashed celebration of the body, sensuality, and the pleasures of physical existence. He writes candidly about the mouth, breath, kisses, and the tactile joys of being alive, often using the lips as a site of both speech and erotic contact.

In “Song of Myself,” for example, Whitman’s speaker delights in the sensations of the body and the acts of loving and being loved, describing “a few light kisses, a few embraces, a reaching around of arms” as part of his celebration of life.

Moreover, Whitman’s poetry often transforms moments of intimacy or even social discomfort into something healing and restorative, as when he describes his lovers “crowding my lips” and “bussing my body with soft balsamic busses”—turning what could be overwhelming into a source of pleasure and health. By pursing your lips, you can channel this same spirit of unapologetic sensuality and openness, embodying Whitman’s message that bodily pleasure is not just natural, but something to be celebrated and shared.

Pursing your lips as Whitman both symbolizes and enacts his radical openness to bodily pleasure, making your performance a living reflection of his poetic ideals.

Yes, the act of pursing your lips can embody Whitman’s idea of embracing sensual joy. Whitman’s poetry is famous for celebrating the pleasures of the body, intimacy, and the unabashed enjoyment of physical affection. The lips, in both his imagery and broader literary tradition, are a central symbol of sensuality and connection—kissing, speaking, and expressing emotion all originate from this part of the body.

Pursing the lips, especially in performance, draws attention to the mouth as a site of both anticipation and pleasure. Literary and historical sources describe the act of pursing the lips as a precursor to the kiss, an “effleurage” or gentle brushing that is both fleeting and deeply erotic. This gesture can evoke the anticipation of contact, the thrill of affection, and the joy found in the body’s capacity for pleasure—all themes Whitman celebrates in his verse.

By embodying this gesture as you perform, you physically enact the openness and delight in bodily experience that Whitman advocates. The lips become not just a vehicle for language, but a symbol of the sensual joy and intimacy Whitman urges his readers to embrace.

I would like to end this episode with portions of the first six verses from his Song of Myself using pursed voice as the voice of Walt Whitman.

1
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,
I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.

My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air,
Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,
I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,
Hoping to cease not till death.

2
Houses and rooms are full of perfumes, the shelves are crowded with perfumes,
I breathe the fragrance myself and know it and like it,
The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it.

A few light kisses, a few embraces, a reaching around of arms,
The play of shine and shade on the trees as the supple boughs wag,
The delight alone or in the rush of the streets, or along the fields and hill-sides,
The feeling of health, the full-noon trill, the song of me rising from bed and meeting the sun.

Have you reckon’d a thousand acres much? have you reckon’d the earth much?
Have you practis’d so long to learn to read?
Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems?

Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems,
You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are millions of suns left,)
You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books,
You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,
You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self.

3
I have heard what the talkers were talking, the talk of the beginning and the end,
But I do not talk of the beginning or the end.

There was never any more inception than there is now,
Nor any more youth or age than there is now,
And will never be any more perfection than there is now,
Nor any more heaven or hell than there is now.

Urge and urge and urge,
Always the procreant urge of the world.

Out of the dimness opposite equals advance, always substance and increase, always sex,
Always a knit of identity, always distinction, always a breed of life.

Knowing the perfect fitness and equanimity of things, while they discuss I am silent, and go bathe and admire myself.

Welcome is every organ and attribute of me, and of any man hearty and clean,
Not an inch nor a particle of an inch is vile, and none shall be less familiar than the rest.

4
Apart from the pulling and hauling stands what I am,
Stands amused, complacent, compassionating, idle, unitary,
Looks down, is erect, or bends an arm on an impalpable certain rest,
Looking with side-curved head curious what will come next,
Both in and out of the game and watching and wondering at it.
Backward I see in my own days where I sweated through fog with linguists and contenders,
I have no mockings or arguments, I witness and wait.

5
I believe in you my soul, the other I am must not abase itself to you,
And you must not be abased to the other.

Loafe with me on the grass, loose the stop from your throat,
Not words, not music or rhyme I want, not custom or lecture, not even the best,
Only the lull I like, the hum of your valvèd voice.

I mind how once we lay such a transparent summer morning,
How you settled your head athwart my hips and gently turn’d over upon me,
And parted the shirt from my bosom-bone, and plunged your tongue to my bare-stript heart,
And reach’d till you felt my beard, and reach’d till you held my feet.

6
A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands;
How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he.

I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.

Or I guess it is the handkerchief of the Lord,
A scented gift and remembrancer designedly dropt,
Bearing the owner’s name someway in the corners, that we may see and remark, and say Whose?

Or I guess the grass is itself a child, the produced babe of the vegetation.

Tenderly will I use you curling grass,
It may be you transpire from the breasts of young men,
It may be if I had known them I would have loved them,
It may be you are from old people, or from offspring taken soon out of their mothers’ laps,
And here you are the mothers’ laps.

O I perceive after all so many uttering tongues,
And I perceive they do not come from the roofs of mouths for nothing.

I wish I could translate the hints about the dead young men and women,
And the hints about old men and mothers, and the offspring taken soon out of their laps.

What do you think has become of the young and old men?
And what do you think has become of the women and children?

They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,
And ceas’d the moment life appear’d.

All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.

Join celebrate poe for episode 388 - Celebrating Whitman.

Sources include perplexity AI and the complete works of Walt Whitman. 

Thank you for listening to celebrate poe.