Cataloging the Sensual

Welcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 433 - Cataloging the Sensual

I left off talking about Whitman's use of free verse, and now I'd like to say a little bit more. about his technique of cataloging - away in which you might say that he glorified the common place. In his catalogues, such as the one in "I Hear America Singing," Whitman elevates the ordinary work of everyday people into something monumental. He lists the "mechanic," the "carpenter," the "mason," the "boatman," and the "ploughboy," giving each person their own song. By placing these working-class individuals at the center of his epic poem, he broke with the tradition of focusing on kings, gods, or mythic heroes. This was an act of courage that validated the lives of the American people.

Celebrating the Human Body: Whitman's courage was particularly evident in his treatment of the human body and sexuality. In "I Sing the Body Electric," he writes with a frankness that was shocking for his time, describing and celebrating the body in all its forms. He writes, "The press of my foot to the earth, it is as a contact with spirits." He goes on to praise not just beauty but also strength, age, and sexuality without shame. This was a direct challenge to the prudish, repressed social norms of the Victorian era.

Transcript

Welcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 433 - Cataloging the Sensual

I left off talking about Whitman's use of free verse, and now I'd like to say a little bit more. about his technique of cataloging - away in which you might say that he glorified the common place. In his catalogues, such as the one in "I Hear America Singing," Whitman elevates the ordinary work of everyday people into something monumental. He lists the "mechanic," the "carpenter," the "mason," the "boatman," and the "ploughboy," giving each person their own song. By placing these working-class individuals at the center of his epic poem, he broke with the tradition of focusing on kings, gods, or mythic heroes. This was an act of courage that validated the lives of the American people.

Celebrating the Human Body: Whitman's courage was particularly evident in his treatment of the human body and sexuality. In "I Sing the Body Electric," he writes with a frankness that was shocking for his time, describing and celebrating the body in all its forms. He writes, "The press of my foot to the earth, it is as a contact with spirits." He goes on to praise not just beauty but also strength, age, and sexuality without shame. This was a direct challenge to the prudish, repressed social norms of the Victorian era.

Self-Publishing Leaves of Grass: Whitman had so much faith in his work that he self-published the first edition of his seminal collection, Leaves of Grass, in 1855. When established publishers wouldn't touch his unconventional poems, he took matters into his own hands, even setting some of the type himself. He sent a copy to Ralph Waldo Emerson, the leading literary figure of the day, who famously wrote a letter praising the work as a "greatest piece of wit and wisdom that has yet been produced on this continent." Again, I want to point out that this act of self-belief and direct action shows the sheer audacity required for creative courage.

"I Sing the Body Electric" is a poem from Walt Whitman's collection Leaves of Grass that serves as a powerful anthem celebrating the human body in its entirety. Through his use of free verse, catalogs, and a democratic, spiritual tone, Whitman challenges traditional notions of shame and sin associated with the physical form, instead presenting the body as sacred, beautiful, and deeply connected to the soul.

The poem's central theme is th e throughout his life now I think the most helpful way to look at this poem and it is an incredible work is to read each of  and unity of the body and soul. Whitman rejects the common religious idea that the body is a corrupt vessel for a pure soul. Instead, he argues that the two are inseparable and equally divine. The very title, with the word "electric," suggests a vibrant, powerful energy that animates all living things.

Democratic and Inclusive Vision: The poem's series of catalogs is a key part of its analysis. Whitman describes various bodies—male and female, young and old, strong and weak—treating them all with equal reverence. He explicitly includes the bodies of slaves and the working class, a radical act of inclusivity for the 19th century. This democratic vision extends to every part of the body, from the brain to the genitals, each of which he considers worthy of celebration.

Erotic and Spiritual Language: Whitman uses an intense, almost spiritual language to describe physical and sexual attraction. He views physical contact and eroticism not as sinful, but as a deeply spiritual connection between people. For example, he describes the "press of my foot to the earth" as a "contact with spirits," blurring the line between the physical and the metaphysical.

The Power of Free Verse: The poem's form is integral to its message. The long, free-flowing lines and lack of a fixed rhyme or meter mirror the unrestricted and expansive nature of the human body and spirit. This structure allows Whitman to list countless examples of physical beauty and strength without the constraints of traditional poetic form, creating a sense of boundless celebration.

Body as an Enduring Legacy: The poem also touches on the body's legacy after death. Whitman suggests that even after the soul departs, the body continues to be a part of the universe, with its atoms returning to the earth to nourish new life. This idea reinforces his theme that the body is not just a temporary container but an essential, eternal part of the cosmos.

I would like to end this examination of Whitman's free verse with a somewhat in-depth look at "I Sing the Body Electric.”  The poem is divided into nine sections and, in the 1891-1892 edition of Leaves of Grass, it runs for a little over 200 lines. The length can vary slightly depending on the specific edition, because Whitman often revised his poems throughout his life.

I think the most helpful way to look at this poem is to read each of it's nine sections individually, follow ed by an examination of the key ideas and imagery in each part to understand how Whitman builds his grand argument for the sacredness of the body.

I sing the body electric by Walt Whitman

Section one - probably the most famous section

I sing the body electric,
The armies of those I love engirth me and I engirth them,
They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them,
And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the soul.

Was it doubted that those who corrupt their own bodies conceal themselves?
And if those who defile the living are as bad as they who defile the dead?
And if the body does not do fully as much as the soul?
And if the body were not the soul, what is the soul?

Section 1: The Thesis Statement
The poem opens with a bold, celebratory declaration: "I sing the body electric." Whitman immediately establishes his central thesis: the body is not just flesh but a vibrant, charged, and spiritual entity. He goes on to state that the soul is not a separate entity from the body but is "no more than the body." This first section sets the stage, rejecting the traditional religious and philosophical dualism between body and soul.

This opening section introduces the central theme of the poem: the holiness and unity of the body and soul. Whitman directly challenges the traditional religious and philosophical view that the body is a corrupting force, a vessel to be transcended or overcome. Instead, he presents the body as a sacred, powerful, and essential part of the human experience.

Unity of Body and Soul: The last line, "And if the body were not the soul, what is the soul?" is the most crucial statement. It collapses the distinction between the physical and the spiritual. Whitman suggests that the soul isn't an ethereal entity separate from the body; rather, the body is the soul manifest. This is a radical, democratic, and intensely physical spirituality.

Affirmation of Love and Connection: The first three lines emphasize a deep connection between the speaker and "those I love." The phrase "armies of those I love engirth me and I engirth them" suggests a mutual, all-encompassing embrace. This isn't just romantic love; it's a broad, almost cosmic love for humanity, a collective consciousness that is both spiritual and physical. The line "They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them, / And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the soul" indicates a mission to revitalize and sanctify humanity by reaffirming the body's worth.

Literary Devices
Anaphora: Whitman uses anaphora, the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, with the repeated "And if..." questions. This rhetorical strategy builds a rhythmic, interrogative momentum. He's not asking these questions because he's unsure; he's asking them to challenge the reader's preconceived notions and force them to reconsider their own beliefs about the body.

Parallelism: The questions themselves are parallel in structure, creating a powerful, incantatory effect. The series of rhetorical questions functions as a kind of spiritual catechism, guiding the reader toward his core belief.

Word Choice: The verb "discorrupt" is a striking choice. Instead of simply "purifying," it implies actively undoing corruption, suggesting that the body's natural state is one of goodness. The word "charge" links the body to an almost electrical, vital energy, a direct connection to the "body electric" of the title.   

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The love of the body of man or woman balks account, the body itself balks account,
That of the male is perfect, and that of the female is perfect.

The expression of the face balks account,
But the expression of a well-made man appears not only in his face,
It is in his limbs and joints also, it is curiously in the joints of his hips and wrists,
It is in his walk, the carriage of his neck, the flex of his waist and knees, dress does not hide him,
The strong sweet quality he has strikes through the cotton and broadcloth,
To see him pass conveys as much as the best poem, perhaps more,
You linger to see his back, and the back of his neck and shoulder-side.

The sprawl and fulness of babes, the bosoms and heads of women, the folds of their dress, their style as we pass in the street, the contour of their shape downwards,
The swimmer naked in the swimming-bath, seen as he swims through the transparent green-shine, or lies with his face up and rolls silently to and fro in the heave of the water,
The bending forward and backward of rowers in row-boats, the horseman in his saddle,
Girls, mothers, house-keepers, in all their performances,
The group of laborers seated at noon-time with their open dinner-kettles, and their wives waiting,
The female soothing a child, the farmer’s daughter in the garden or cow-yard,
The young fellow hoeing corn, the sleigh-driver driving his six horses through the crowd,
The wrestle of wrestlers, two apprentice-boys, quite grown, lusty, good-natured, native-born, out on the vacant lot at sun-down after work,
The coats and caps thrown down, the embrace of love and resistance,
The upper-hold and under-hold, the hair rumpled over and blinding the eyes;
The march of firemen in their own costumes, the play of masculine muscle through clean-setting trowsers and waist-straps,
The slow return from the fire, the pause when the bell strikes suddenly again, and the listening on the alert,
The natural, perfect, varied attitudes, the bent head, the curv’d neck and the counting;
Such-like I love—I loosen myself, pass freely, am at the mother’s breast with the little child,
Swim with the swimmers, wrestle with wrestlers, march in line with the firemen, and pause, listen, count.

Section 2 of "I Sing the Body Electric" is a celebration of the human form in all its diversity and everyday glory. Whitman shifts from the philosophical claims of the first section to a vivid, almost photographic catalog of bodies in motion.

Key Themes and Ideas
This section expands on the central theme of the body's perfection. Whitman's cataloging of various people and scenes is a democratic act, elevating the ordinary to the sublime. He is demonstrating his core belief that the human body, in its natural state, is a source of beauty and spiritual power.

Democratic Body: Whitman insists on the equal perfection of both the male and female body. This was a radical departure from the conventions of his time, which often fetishized or moralized the female form while seeing the male body as a symbol of strength. Whitman sees both as equally "perfect."

Beauty in the Everyday: The poem moves away from idealized, classical nudes and finds beauty in everyday, American bodies. He praises the "expression of a well-made man" not just in his face but in his "limbs and joints," his walk, and the way his body fills his clothes. He sees as much value in a passing stranger as in "the best poem."

The Body in Action: The poem is a series of snapshots of bodies engaged in work, leisure, and simple existence: swimmers, rowers, laborers, mothers, and wrestlers. This focus on bodies in action is crucial. Whitman's beauty is not static; it's dynamic, filled with the energy of life. The "wrestle of wrestlers" is a particularly powerful and homoerotic image, full of "love and resistance," celebrating physical intimacy and strength.

Empathy and Connection: The final lines are a declaration of the poet's connection to all these bodies. By saying, "I loosen myself, pass freely," he embodies a profound sense of empathy, merging his own consciousness with that of the people he observes. He doesn't just watch them; he becomes them, participating in their experiences.

Literary Devices
Cataloging: The most prominent device here is cataloging, a hallmark of Whitman's style. He creates long, rhythmic lists of images—the swimmer, the rowers, the laborers, the wrestlers—to build a comprehensive and inclusive vision of humanity.

Sensory Detail: Whitman appeals directly to the senses. We don't just see the bodies; we feel the "sprawl and fulness of babes," the "transparent green-shine" of the water, and the "play of masculine muscle."

Parallelism: The structure of the last paragraph, with its series of verbs ("Swim with the swimmers, wrestle with wrestlers, march in line with the firemen"), creates a powerful, unifying rhythm, bringing the section to a cohesive and emotionally resonant close.

3

I knew a man, a common farmer, the father of five sons,
And in them the fathers of sons, and in them the fathers of sons.

This man was of wonderful vigor, calmness, beauty of person,
The shape of his head, the pale yellow and white of his hair and beard, the immeasurable meaning of his black eyes, the richness and breadth of his manners,
These I used to go and visit him to see, he was wise also,
He was six feet tall, he was over eighty years old, his sons were massive, clean, bearded, tan-faced, handsome,
They and his daughters loved him, all who saw him loved him,
They did not love him by allowance, they loved him with personal love,
He drank water only, the blood show’d like scarlet through the clear-brown skin of his face,
He was a frequent gunner and fisher, he sail’d his boat himself, he had a fine one presented to him by a ship-joiner, he had fowling-pieces presented to him by men that loved him,
When he went with his five sons and many grand-sons to hunt or fish, you would pick him out as the most beautiful and vigorous of the gang,
You would wish long and long to be with him, you would wish to sit by him in the boat that you and he might touch each other.

Whitman uses these stanzas to move from a specific, personal observation to a universal, almost divine, declaration about the body, its connection to the soul, and its role in the continuous cycle of life.

The Sacredness of the Human Body
Whitman begins with a specific individual—an elderly farmer. He portrays this man not just as an individual, but as a living representation of strength, wisdom, and continuity. This man is a patriarch, the "father of five sons, / And in them the fathers of sons, and in them the fathers of sons."   immediately elevates the man beyond a single life; he is a link in an unbroken chain of humanity. The description is rich with physical details—his vigor, his height, his "immeasurable meaning of his black eyes." The fact that others love him "with personal love" and that Whitman himself longs to be near him underscores the idea that there is something inherently beautiful and lovable in the human form itself.

The poet uses vivid, almost ecstatic language to describe the physical and spiritual power of womanhood. The female form is not just a body; it is "the nucleus," the "bath of birth," the "gates of the body, and you are the gates of the soul." Whitman challenges women to not be ashamed of their bodies, boldly stating that their "privilege encloses the rest." The female form is not just a vessel for new life but is also the origin of both men and women, containing and tempering all qualities.

Later, Section 6 mirrors this with a tribute to the male form. He declares that the male is "not less the soul nor more, he too is in his place." The male body is a source of "action and power," of "the wildest largest passions." It is the site where knowledge and pride reside. Whitman then brings both genders together, stating that "The man’s body is sacred and the woman’s body is sacred." This declaration extends to everyone, regardless of social status or origin, whether they are a "meanest one in the laborers’ gang" or a "dull-faced immigrant." All are part of a continuous "procession" of the universe, and all are equally worthy of respect and life. He ends the section by directly challenging the reader's prejudices, asking if they believe the world exists only for them and not for others.

Whitman's analysis of the human body is not just about its physical form but about its spiritual, emotional, and social significance. What did you find most striking about his descriptions?

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I have perceiv’d that to be with those I like is enough,
To stop in company with the rest at evening is enough,
To be surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough,
To pass among them or touch any one, or rest my arm ever so lightly round his or her neck for a moment, what is this then?
I do not ask any more delight, I swim in it as in a sea.

Now Whitman begins the fifth section by stating that he's "perceiv'd that to be with those I like is enough." This isn't about grand gestures or dramatic events, but about the profound satisfaction found in the quiet, shared moments of life. Think about those times when the greatest pleasure in your life is found and simply being with a handful of friends.  Walt Whitman finds immense fulfillment in simply being "in company with the rest at evening." This idea is a cornerstone of Whitman's democratic vision, where every person, regardless of their background, contributes to the collective beauty and energy of humanity.

The Senses and the Soul
The poem uses sensory details to convey this feeling. Whitman describes being "surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh," highlighting the raw, animalistic, and beautiful nature of human beings. He emphasizes the importance of physical contact, even the most fleeting. Touching someone, or resting an arm "ever so lightly round his or her neck," is not just a physical act but a deeply soulful one. He declares that he doesn't need "any more delight" than this, feeling as though he's "swim[ming] in it as in a sea." This metaphor beautifully captures the overwhelming, immersive, and all-encompassing nature of this joy.

A Deeper Pleasure
The final lines of the section clarify this spiritual dimension. Whitman notes that there is "something in staying close to men and women and looking on them, and in the contact and odor of them, that pleases the soul well." The phrase "pleases the soul well" is a deliberate understatement, co ntrasting with the intense feeling he's just described. He acknowledges that "all things please the soul," but the experience of human connection is uniquely powerful, a kind of essential nourishment that satisfies the soul in a way nothing else can. This section powerfully argues that the spiritual isn't separate from the physical, but is, in fact, found within it—in the sights, sounds, smells, and touch of other people.

There is something in staying close to men and women and looking on them, and in the contact and odor of them, that pleases the soul well,
All things please the soul, but these please the soul well.
Thank you for staying with me so far and I'd like to begin the next episode - a fierce undeniable attraction - with a look at the female form.

Sources include: Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, the online Walt Whitman archive, the new Walt Whitman handbook, song about ourselves: Walt Whitman and the fight for democracy by Mark Edmondson, and Walt Whitman -  the making of the poet by Paul svig

Thank you for listening to celebrate creativity