Song of Myself # 52
The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains of my
gab and my loitering.
I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,
I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.
The last scud of day holds back for me,
It flings my likeness after the rest and true as any on the shadow'd
wilds,
It coaxes me to the vapor and the dusk.
I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.
Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.
Title: “song of myself” the title makes you think that you will be reading about the life of the author.
Paraphrase: he speaker sees a spotted hawk flying around and he says the hawk "accuses him" by circling over his head. The hawk is "complaining" by kawing at him because he is on his territory. The speaker then says that he is like the hawk, he is flying above with hawk, he says that he is making connections with everything around him, yet he doesn't go anywhere. The speaker then implies that he is flying with the bird, and that he is overseeing everything. He then starts saying that one day he will be dead and the bird will want to look for him, and if he does he has to look under "your boot-soles" to find the man, because he will be dead. The speaker says that the hawk does not know the man at first, and he doesn't understand the man. Yet the speaker says that he will continue to give the bird "good health" but how is not specified. He tells the hawk to keep looking for him even if he doesn't find the speaker at first, the speaker says he has "stopped somewhere" and that he is waiting for the hawk.
Connotation:
White locks: imagery of his hair showing he was old
Untranslatable: people don't understand him...but the animals do
Barbaric: untamed and like wild one w/ nature
Coaxes: like it kind enchants him into doing sumthing he didn't want to do
Alliteration- "spotted, swoops" "effuse, eddies" "filter, fibre"
Attitude: The attitude is elated. It is also very heavenly and dreamy. It is so optimistic and overjoyed with life.
Shift: The shift in tone is when he departs. Before the departure he is still the hawk, flying through the air, but he has to die when the day ends, and then it shifts to him reappearing as something else. His body will die, but the spirit will live on.
Title: “Song of Myself” At first you think it is about himself but once you have read the poem the title symbolizes all of humanity and life itself. He is one with nature. He is singing because he is so overjoyed with life and humanity.
Theme: Nature is so free and full of enjoyment, we need to take time to notice, and experience it. Regardless of what happens to his body, his presence will always be there.