One of my favorite passages in all of literature is the opening few lines of Walt Whitman's most famous poem, "Song of Myself." Whitman is introducing not only himself to the world, but also his humanist perspective, and his relationship to all other forms of life. He is imbued with everything that is, through everything that he is. But the only way he can achieve this state, this contemplative and satiated connection to life, is to, at first, be still.
Whitman writes, "I loafe and invite my soul..." as a description of what it means to take in life and allow it to be absorbed and reflected by one's humanity. It is in the stillness where one can obtain such enlightenment. This may sound a bit hippy-dippy, where we should all meditate and wear yoga pants (and Whitman might think that may not be too far off), but actually this is simply a call for focus. His use of "loafe" might be taken as laziness, a slacker mentality. Rather, Whitman is exhorting us in the act of slowing down and thinking about our place in this world. We should "invite our souls" to listen more carefully, to live more calmly, to think more deeply. This line, and the stanzas that follow, provide the essence of the Romantic Era, in which beauty and human emotionality held the highest truths. But it is also a reminder of the preceding Enlightenment, in which investigation and knowledge ruled the intellectual landscape.
We need both. And as the new school year arrives, we can easily get caught up in the chaos of classes, grades, relationships, finances, activities, and other causes of stress. All the while, we forget the real purpose of education--to learn about ourselves and the world around us, to reflect upon eternal truths, and to embrace the wisdom that dwells in quietude.
This year, take time to loafe, but not get lazy. And invite your soul to experience as much deep thought as possible. And if your English teacher misreads your quiet and pensive demeanor for slacking off, just tell him/her that Walt Whitman has your back.
Whitman writes, "I loafe and invite my soul..." as a description of what it means to take in life and allow it to be absorbed and reflected by one's humanity. It is in the stillness where one can obtain such enlightenment. This may sound a bit hippy-dippy, where we should all meditate and wear yoga pants (and Whitman might think that may not be too far off), but actually this is simply a call for focus. His use of "loafe" might be taken as laziness, a slacker mentality. Rather, Whitman is exhorting us in the act of slowing down and thinking about our place in this world. We should "invite our souls" to listen more carefully, to live more calmly, to think more deeply. This line, and the stanzas that follow, provide the essence of the Romantic Era, in which beauty and human emotionality held the highest truths. But it is also a reminder of the preceding Enlightenment, in which investigation and knowledge ruled the intellectual landscape.
We need both. And as the new school year arrives, we can easily get caught up in the chaos of classes, grades, relationships, finances, activities, and other causes of stress. All the while, we forget the real purpose of education--to learn about ourselves and the world around us, to reflect upon eternal truths, and to embrace the wisdom that dwells in quietude.
This year, take time to loafe, but not get lazy. And invite your soul to experience as much deep thought as possible. And if your English teacher misreads your quiet and pensive demeanor for slacking off, just tell him/her that Walt Whitman has your back.