Walt Whitman

Thought of What I Write from Myself

Thought of What I Write from Myself - meaning Summary

Poetry Exceeds History

Whitman asserts that his poems, derived from himself, are more vital and enduring than conventional histories or records. He challenges the authority of fragmented national chronicles, claiming that his verse contains the essence of nations and the lives of heroes in a fuller, more lasting way. The poem presents poetic creation as a comprehensive, living archive that surpasses documentary history in scope and permanence.

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OF what I write from myself—As if that were not the resumé; Of Histories—As if such, however complete, were not less complete than the preceding poems; As if those shreds, the records of nations, could possibly be as lasting as the preceding poems; As if here were not the amount of all nations, and of all the lives of heroes.

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