I Sing the Body Electric

One critic called Whitman the “Secular American Prophet.” His writing documented the landscape of America at the time and infused it with a distinctly American philosophy. He was greatly influenced by the Transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, who believed that humans could achieve transcendence through their connection with nature. The poet and philosopher Emerson was particularly close to Whitman, and he was one of the first people to acknowledge the importance of Leaves of Grass. Whitman and Emerson both expressed a glorification of self-reliance, but whereas Emerson tended toward intellectual, Whitman was more kinesthetic, celebrating not only man’s mind but the body. He finds meaning in nature and contemplation of nature, in community, and in the experience of touch.

Whitman is perhaps best known for “I Hear America Singing,” in which he praises the common people of America for building, giving birth, raising children, and making their country grow. By calling their work a song, he addresses the communal quality of Americans. The poem expresses a burgeoning identity of an idealized America, though it was not entirely inclusive or representative of every person on the continent.

In “I Sing the Body Electric,” Whitman focuses on the physicality of Americans and describes what they are doing with their bodies. He expands on the ideas and ideals of “I Hear America Singing,” referencing the ways it fell short of achieving equality. The poem was first published in 1855, over half a century after America’s founding and less than a decade before the Civil War. Whitman’s poetry made comments on the developing country, its politics, social structure, scientific innovations, religion, and developing values.

The poem also makes references to controversial topics of the time period, including slavery, feminism, scientific innovations, philosophy, and the temperance movement. Some have argued a subtext of homoeroticism that suggests Whitman’s own possible homosexuality. At the time of its writing, the sensuality and sexuality of the poem, the praise of the body, was considered controversial.

Whitman does not shy away from these taboo topics, sometimes to his detriment. Emerson tried to convince his friend to remove the more body-centered parts of his book, believing they would hurt the book’s sales and legacy. Whitman decided against Emerson’s advice, keeping references to the body, carnality, and even lust, though he still used euphemistic language. Whitman referred to the penis with the archaic term “man root” (Line 144) and used metaphors instead of anatomical terms for female genitalia. Still, the frank sensuality offended many at the time of its publication. Whitman was eventually fired from his job at the Bureau of Indian Affairs because his supervisors disapproved of his writing.

The body was also important because Americans were focused on building the physical foundations of the new country. Where older civilizations developed more complicated social systems, American philosophy tended to focus on rugged individualism. They became self-sufficient, farming, hunting and fishing for sustenance, while building homes and towns out of the wilderness. More Americans were engaged in physical labor than their European counterparts. The body took on a greater role of prominence and Whitman’s poetry elevated that. His attitude that all Americans were worthy of dignity reflected the values of the Founding Fathers and the Revolutionary War, yet he applied those values in a more egalitarian way to include women, enslaved persons, immigrants, and the working class. This is why Whitman’s work continues to echo through American literature and culture.