Here's how "Song of Myself" reflects and departs from American epic poetry:
Shared Traits with American Epic Poetry:
* Focus on the Nation: Like epics like "The Song of Hiawatha" by Longfellow or "Evangeline" by Longfellow, "Song of Myself" celebrates the American landscape, people, and identity. It is a poem about a national consciousness, exploring the vastness and diversity of America.
* Emphasis on the Individual: Whitman's poem, like many American epics, elevates the individual as a significant part of the larger national story. He celebrates the common man and the everyday experiences that make up the American experience.
* Use of Free Verse: While earlier American epics like "The Song of Hiawatha" used a more traditional poetic form, "Song of Myself" employs free verse, a form that emerged in America and allowed poets to break free from the constraints of rhyme and meter. This liberated style mirrored the spirit of democracy and individual expression in America.
Departures from Traditional Epic Poetry:
* Lack of Traditional Plot: Unlike traditional epics, "Song of Myself" doesn't have a clear plot or a central hero in the traditional sense. Instead, it's a stream of consciousness, a series of observations and reflections on life, death, and the universe.
* Rejection of Heroic Ideals: Whitman avoids traditional heroic archetypes and instead celebrates the ordinary person, focusing on their struggles, joys, and everyday moments.
* Embrace of Sensuality and Sexuality: Whitman's poem embraces the physical world and human sexuality, a departure from the more idealized and often chaste imagery of traditional epic poetry.
Overall, "Song of Myself" can be seen as a distinctly American epic, one that reflects the changing landscape of American poetry in the 19th century. It captures the spirit of a young nation, its emphasis on individual experience, and its embrace of the unconventional. While it shares some common traits with traditional epics, it also breaks new ground, establishing a new voice and style that would influence generations of American poets.