Of the Visage of Things
Of the Visage of Things - meaning Summary
Embracing Equality of Appearances
Whitman insists on radical acceptance: the outward "visages of things" include ugliness as much as beauty, and that ugliness in people is acceptable to him. He refuses moral hierarchies, arguing that detected sinners are no worse than undetected ones and that judges, jurors, reputable citizens and even the President share culpability. The voice collapses distance between self and other, treating fault as part of common humanity.
Read Complete AnalysesOF the visages of things—And of piercing through to the accepted hells beneath; Of ugliness—To me there is just as much in it as there is in beauty—And now the ugliness of human beings is acceptable to me; Of detected persons—To me, detected persons are not, in any respect, worse than undetected persons—and are not in any respect worse than I am myself; Of criminals—To me, any judge, or any juror, is equally criminal—and any reputable person is also—and the President is also.
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