An Existential Perspective on Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself"
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Authors
Morris, Christopher David
Issue Date
1978
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
This paper is basically a reading of "The Song of
Myself" by Walt Whitman in relation to and in light of
The Denial of Death by Ernst Becker. The discussion of
Whitman will be centered around the topics of death and
mortality and the impact of these existential problems
on Whitman. What, in other words, is the creative and
conscious attitude in Whitman relating to death? As the
vibrant, throbbing living in Whitman's "Song of myself"
develops, what of value is found concerning the conscious
knowledge that life, at least in a physical sense, must
end? What is the relationship between Becker's contemporary
synthesis of existentialist thinking and the
expansionistic ideas of mid-19th Century America as
developed in Whitman? These are the areas of major concern.
However, the importance of death (and the developed
consciousness of death) is in its impact on life. Therefore,
"The Song of Myself" in its growing pronouncement of a
personal living philosophy must have a connection and
possibly a solution for the existentialist problems.
Description
71 p.
Citation
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License
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