Sunday, March 31, 2013
Grass?
In Whitman's sixth poem from Leaves of Grass, he discusses what grass is. He compares it to divinity, to ordinary men, and to a hidden message. He proceeds to talk to the grass as though it is a person. We know he likes to use many metaphors when describing a thing. So what do you think grass is?
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I don't necessary think this question can really be answered... Walt Whitman wants us to recognize that life is truly so meaningful, and so is dead because it is the unknown and we should embrace that, because we have nothing to be afraid of. Whitman also states that all of us are a part of the Kosmos, therefore we are also the unknown, and therefore we are the grass..but not directly.. If that makes sense? Like.. he uses the grass as sort of a medium for our minds because we can't picture the "unknown" because it is simply unknown BUT if somebody puts an image into our minds we have an easier time grasping a concept. In this case, I think that the grass is a medium for our minds to travel through in order to understand that our souls are immortal, only our bodies die, eventually, but so what? Therefore, life is meant to be enjoyed daily, by just being yourself, and not fearing what comes next.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lindsay. I think grass represents the imaginary line (milestone) in between life and death. Whitman deals with very ambiguous general ideas as life and death and therefore he tries to create an image in reader's head to make it easier for him/her to imagine and understand what he wants to tell us. I think grass is a great example of the imaginary line in between life and death, because it is spread all over the world just like people are. Each leaf of grass is very unique and different just as people are, but many leaves together create a lawn just like people create society. I really liked Whitman's metaphors tied with grass.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lindsay and Kristina. Grass represents the cycle of life and death and it is placed in the middle of the two. Moreover grass embodies all those things that are subjected to the cycle of life and death and therefore also humans. Every leaf is a person, and it differs from every other leaf, but at the same it is connected to all the other leaves and their union forms grass. This shows Whitman's idea that everything is unique and diverse but at the same time is connected to everything.
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