How to Read the Poetry of Walt Whitman ('Song of Myself' Appreciation)

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0:00 the poetry of Walt Whitman
1:50 ‘you may contribute a verse’
4:15 appreciating ‘Song of Myself’
5:55 ‘I celebrate myself, and sing myself’
6:55 Whitman as controversial poet
7:30 poem as sublime American epic
8:30 poetic exploration of self-love
9:30 Whitman’s poet-reader relationship
10:45 is Whitman the father of free verse?
11:20 Walt Whitman’s biblical cadence
13:15 Whitman’s religious skepticism
14:20 Whitman’s celebration of the flesh
16:00 breaking free from sin and guilt
17:30 on making the senses heroic
18:00 ‘I loafe and invite my soul’
19:30 reminder to appreciate nature
20:00 three psychic agencies of self
20:30 ‘I am large, I contain multitudes’
21:10 rebirth after a midlife crisis
22:00 the poet of the nation is born
22:30 Whitman embraces the natural world
24:45 the sensual spirituality of Whitman
26:30 where shall wisdom be found?
27:30 possessing the origin of all poems
28:20 Whitman teaches us to see truly
29:00 focusing on the present moment
30:00 on American transcendentalism
30:45 the unification of body and soul
31:20 Walt Whitman’s epic catalogues
32:00 our problems are not our true selves
33:30 the question of ‘what is the grass?’
35:00 Walt Whitman’s prolific decade
35:30 on multiple meanings in poetry
36:10 what does ‘Leaves of Grass’ mean?
38:00 ‘look for me under your boot-soles’
39:50 liberating cycles of death and rebirth
40:30 how to read a poem for the first time
41:15 reading the divine signs in nature
42:00 ‘the beautiful uncut hair of graves’
42:45 ‘all goes onward and outward’
43:00 Whitman’s love for humanity
44:45 Whitman on abolition of slavery
45:20 ‘I Sing the Body Electric’
48:00 Whitman during the Civil War
48:30 Whitman’s poems for President Lincoln
49:30 expressing the thoughts of all men
51:30 music for the conquered and slain
52:45 the healing power of Whitman
53:20 on rereading your favourite parts
55:00 the miracle of touching and feeling
55:50 ‘all truths wait in all things’
56:00 the aim with aesthetic criticism
56:30 how to read poetry sensitively
57:00 ‘only what nobody denies is so’
58:20 Whitman on living with the animals
1:00:00 Whitman sends us into nature
1:01:00 how to truly apprehend God
1:02:30 are you able to love yourself?
1:03:30 the ending of ‘Song of Myself’
1:04:30 ‘I sound my barbaric yawp…’
1:05:10 ‘I stop somewhere waiting for you’
1:05:40 expressing my gratitude for you
1:06:30 your thoughts on Walt Whitman?

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19 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 113

@jsmi601 5 месяцев назад

"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" brought tears to my eyes. Quite stunning. Thank you for the intro!

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

I'm happy you found these lines so stunning, Jessica :) They're some of the most beautiful lines of poetry I have ever read!

@TK-kf8zc 5 месяцев назад

What a rich and comprehensive introductory lecture, if you never read another line of Whitman you will have captured his spirit in this talk. The most sensuous of the transcendentalists, Whitman's love of nature could not be more significant to contemporary concerns. And his face. I do believe he and Abraham Lincoln have the most beautiful faces I have ever seen. The soul just pours out. Thank you for releasing so many talks on Saturdays, Ben. Reading great literature is indeed like falling in love. I wait for the weekends just for this. ❤

@jeremylasley8602 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for this! As an American, I take deep pride in Whitman and cherish my several copies of Leaves of Grass like sacred texts. The 1855 edition never leaves my bedside.

@brodiiie 5 месяцев назад

In the beginning of the video you mentioned that his poetry can help us through tough times and i very much agree. Started slowly working my way through this about a month ago, just picking it up every now and then, and i just feel so refreshed after i read one of his poems. Been going through some tough times mental health wise for quite a while now so it’s lovely to have these poems to turn to. As you said it feels as if Whitman is putting his arm around you to comfort you. After I finished Song of Myself I just felt so revitalised and also oddly seen. “I contain multitudes” is always a quote that’s stuck with me and that I’ve loved, so to read it in the full context of the poem was just so wonderful. Sorry for the slightly ramble-y comment. Keep up the amazing content, Ben!

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing this, Brodie. I'm sorry to hear you've been going through such a tough time. My heart goes out to you, my friend. I'm so glad Whitman's poetry has been able to revitalise and comfort you during this challenging time. I have a copy of his complete works on my bedside when I'm going through a difficult time because his words really do have a healing power. I find I can breathe more fully after reading him. Make sure you're being kind to yourself during this tough time, keep reading uplifting poetry, and just know that you're not alone! ❤️

@maryann7619 5 месяцев назад

"I exist as I am, that is enough"--WW That mantra has gotten me through some desperate times these past couple of years. Echoing our buddy Benjamin, be kind and gentle with yourself. Best, Mary Ann

@TheSalMaris 5 месяцев назад

This Loafer wrote, edited, self published, and constantly revised a lasting classic volume. Hardly the definition of an all out indolent loafer. Thank you for this.

@FitziCal 5 месяцев назад

Ben, can i just thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have awoken an invaluable passion for deep reading in myself that i didn't know existed. I'm in my final year of my law degree and i'm still working my way through incredible tomes. I will be joining the book club in the summer. Thank you again.

@jenialiparra4274 5 месяцев назад

👏 👏 👏 I live in the neighborhood where Whitman published the Leaves of Grass. I've talked to him every morning. 🙂

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

That is seriously so cool!! :)

@lauriestonehaskell1687 5 месяцев назад

I also love Whitman's line "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". Absolutely beautiful and soul stirring. I loved this introduction to Walt Whitman's poetry as I loved the introduction to East of Eden - Steinbeck. There is so much psychologically going on in this particular poem. Not projecting forward which leads to anxiety and not being stuck in the past which brings depression but being mindfully in the present moment - as Whitman brings us to. I look so forward to Saturday's when your videos drop - thank you so much for your brilliance Ben.

@ceeemm1901 5 месяцев назад

Everytime I think of Walt Whitman I can't help not thinking of Roberto Benigni and Tom Waits in jail in "Down By Law" when he says in italian english, "I like Walt Whitman, 'Leaves Of Grass, very good"

@gommine 4 месяца назад

Great film. 🎥

@philipswain4122 5 месяцев назад

Whitman is one of my favourite poets. Him and Philip Larkin. Beautiful, thought-provoking and visceral. As you say, Whitman’s words are medicinal.

@kumarvikramaditya9636 4 месяца назад

I first read Whitman's Leaves of Grass in eighth grade, and have been a fan since.

@NjIceTea 5 месяцев назад

You never fail to get me inspired! You are a gift to RU-vid. Leaves of Grass is such a gold mine of beautiful lines 🤗

@dylanmateo68 4 месяца назад

This is hands down the best Whitman video on RU-vid..

@BenjaminMcEvoy 4 месяца назад

Wow! Thank you so much. You have made my day, my friend :)

@jimw.4161 5 месяцев назад

Truly brilliant exposition and introduction to the works of an American master. Very, very few have the ability to explain literature like Mr. McEvoy. I never tire of hearing his exquisite explanations of a subject that he obviously loves. 👏👏

@jesseramirez4560 4 месяца назад

Benjamin, what an inspiration you have been to me. You have introduced me to literature, books and reading at my age of 64. "I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks." I sure would like a signed 8X10 photograph of you and hang this over my "canon" of books at my home. As George Eliot wrote-"It is never too late be what you might of been." Where can I get such a photograph?

@jenialiparra4274 5 месяцев назад

Benjamim, your passion for Literature has been our gift. Thank You!

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

Aw, thank you so much!! :)

@richardlong5928 26 дней назад

Benjamin, you are simply the best. I have watched and rewatched this video more times than I can count. Thank you 🙏

@BenjaminMcEvoy 26 дней назад

Thank you so much, Richard. That really means a lot to me. I appreciate you, my friend ☺️

@sarahwiltshire5851 3 месяца назад

Ben, thank you so much. I had almost walked away from 'Leaves of Grass'. Thanks to your insights and passion for the work, I've returned to it anew and am exploring it with fresh eyes!

@BenjaminMcEvoy 3 месяца назад

Wow! Thank you so much, Sarah :) It makes me so happy to hear that! You have completely made my day!

@Wisdom1944 5 месяцев назад

Dear Benjamin, Im entranced by your commentary on Whitman. Thank you. Thank you.

@Azolan69 5 месяцев назад

Thank you, that was brilliant as usual! Your enthusiasm is contagiousness, it really is.

@NickSchinder Месяц назад

Benjamin, I love all your classes but this one ranks right at the top. Thank you🙏

@BenjaminMcEvoy Месяц назад

Aw, thank you so much, Nick. This was one of my personal favourite discussions, so that really means a lot to me 🙏☺️

@Sauceman10_ 5 месяцев назад

Really good video about Whitman's poetry. The poetry just hits me when hearing it like this and now I want to go and buy his complete work hehe

@cafepoem189 5 месяцев назад

Ben, your analysis of Whitman's 'Song of Myself' is outstanding. Thanks for making these literary weekends so enriching and inspiring!

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

Thank you so much!! That makes me so happy ☺️🙏

@gommine 4 месяца назад

This must be your most inspired lecture so far, Ben. Thank you 🙏🏻

@BenjaminMcEvoy 4 месяца назад

Aw, thank you so much, Paola! This was one of my personal favourite discussions. A lot of love went into it, so I really appreciate that ☺️🙏

@MikeKGullion 5 месяцев назад

Perfect timing! I just bought Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." I'm literally holding it my hand right now.

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

That's amazing! I hope you enjoy it, Mike :)

@danieltorre1033 5 месяцев назад

What a fantastic explanation Ben!!..Cant wait to read along. How fantastic would be to follow up Whitman and have Thoreau's Walden next year.!!😅

@wthomas5697 5 месяцев назад

It's a trip to be hearing someone with a British accent commenting on Walt Whitman. The most American poet.

@WeSLifechronicles 5 месяцев назад

Thank you Sir McEvoy!

@reaganwiles_art 5 месяцев назад

Sometimes, Whitman is all I can read.

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

I completely feel that, Reagan!

@adelinaflorina1471 Месяц назад

I just want to thank you for all this work, you helped me to understand, to like the author and to be eager to read it. I bet you prepared a lot so you could come up with such a tremendous work and video. You really ''contribute a verse''.

@dylanmateo68 4 месяца назад

It makes me blush that an Englishman, having inherited a much deeper wealth of literature than us yanks, the likes of Shakespeare, donne and blake, not to mention wordsworth, would be so enamored and inspired by Whitman, my favorite poet

@C.W.Audiobooks 4 месяца назад

I love this channel! You do us all a great service 😁

@BenjaminMcEvoy 3 месяца назад

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate that deeply ☺️🙏

@billventrice4500 3 месяца назад

Thank you for this. Your passion for Whitman and literature in general is nothing less than a blessing. Perhaps this world is not a lost cause.

@carolfontaine8993 5 месяцев назад

Absolutely wonderful and enlightening analysis. Reminds me of Blake a little. Love his (Whitman) poetry and the man himself. Watch you all the time and really appreciate your insight especially on Dostoyevsky, my favorite writer.

@EduardoHenrique-nd1ro 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for sharing another lovely video, Benjamin! Have an amazing Sunday! Cheers from Brazil!

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

Thank you so much, Eduardo! ☺️

@nangaleema 2 месяца назад

This video was so enjoyable! "I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars..." ❤

@ericchiang370 Месяц назад

Thank you Ben. It’s fortunate that I encounter this video, as it helps me to alleviate the painful feelings that I am experiencing after breaking up with my ex-girlfriend

@theculturedbumpkin 3 месяца назад

This was magnificent!!!

@annarmartin2713 4 месяца назад

A HS English teacher first ignited my love of Literature but in the sunset of my life you have put me in touch with that spark again. This lecture has been profound. I may have to buy a Penguin copy so I can mark it up. I have a much earlier copy but I do not want to write in it. Thank you for the passion you bring to your work.

@KindleAndCoffeeCups 5 месяцев назад

Dear Ben! What a profoundly moving review, and deeply honoring appreciation of Walt Whitman. I made a light roast pour over, grabbed my copy of Leaves of Grass, and had a wonderful Sunday morning watching this video. Thanks for all that you do my friend. You should consider becoming an audiobook narrator:)

@Agyaat_annonymous 4 месяца назад

I was reading osho and in his list of recommendations ( btw his list in the " books i have loved" is very good ,has lot of great spiritual recommendations from around the world) and came to know about Whitman's work. Am not from native English speaking country so had some problem with understanding or atleast dealing with the doubt whether am understanding right or not, but really thank you for making this video as it really helped me put things in perspective and in context. Ps: I am with you dude when you say that you keep it near your bedside, it's one of these poems that's like some profound song that one just doesn't read or listen to one time but rather sings or contemplates about when the mood is in such state i guess. I keep coming back to many verses again and again and would continue to do so maybe my whole life....

@wiilliampinar8051 5 месяцев назад

Bravo, Benjamin.

@izadjahanshahi6041 5 месяцев назад

Thank you so much for this! You are the best.

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

Aw, thank you so much, Izad! :)

@TKTalksBooks 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for this inspiring lecture.

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

You're so welcome! Thank you so much for watching :)

@slf252728 4 месяца назад

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge on Whitman. As an asian I found myself very difficult to appreciate Walt Whitman's poems, but you enlighten me some important thoughts on his.

@judygoddard3869 5 месяцев назад

Really interesting Ben, as always. You often mention Thomas Hardy. It would be great to see a video on him.

@TK-kf8zc 5 месяцев назад

We are reading Hardy at the end of the year ❤

@graceyao2838 5 месяцев назад

Thank you, Happy New Year

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

Happy New Year to you too, Grace :)

@Isushmasagar 2 месяца назад

These great men recorded their lives in words' to let us feel that we are not alone, and we can find peace at the end if we seek it.

@logancushman1882 5 месяцев назад

I love your long and in depth videos about literature. You go into great detail and never give too much information away. On a side note, I was wondering what translation do you recommend on Gogol's short stories or collected stories? Thank you for inspiring us to stay passionate about literature!

@victorialaura6522 2 месяца назад

This was amazing. You are a poet yourself. Thank you 🙏 so much.

@BenjaminMcEvoy 2 месяца назад

Aw, that's so kind of you, Victoria! Thank you so much :)

@jandocherty5834 5 месяцев назад

I am an expert loafer, Whitman would have loved me. Man this is a fantastic reading of the poem, thank you! Your enthusiasm is very contagious, I shall loafe no longer, I'm going to pick up Leaves of Grass again now, it's been far too long!

@lemerry7266 5 месяцев назад

Still here. Need to get on with my Saturday.

@MariaPetrescu 4 месяца назад

I am beyond happy that I have found your channel. It truly speaks to my soul in a way that makes existence feel less lonely. Just wondering, where might one contact you for business inquiries? There are no indications on your website. Thank you and keep up the extraordinary work!

@marjoriedybec3450 5 месяцев назад

That was incredible. TY.

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

Thank you so much, Marjorie! :)

@robbiewalsh100 5 месяцев назад

Unsure if you've listened to Paul Kelly's Poetry album but I believe you'd appreciate it. Thank you for all your great content!

@Casey_Bolt 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for these videos

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

My absolute pleasure! Thank you for watching, Casey :)

@lemerry7266 5 месяцев назад

Sounds interesting, Benjamin. I’ve not read much Whitman. I’m feeling provoked! 😂 I’ll have to come back later, though. Appreciate you.

@BeckyLStoutWriter 3 месяца назад

Well, this video should be helpful to me as I recently visited my local library where I bought a Whitman collection from the used books shelf. I haven't read it yet though, because I'm saving it for April, a.k.a. National Poetry Month! 👍

@wyattcalcote5867 5 месяцев назад

Love the content- would love to see some content about the Beat generation if you are interested in making it

@mangalapalliv 5 месяцев назад

Ben... I need some supporting notes to understand Whitman better... what do you suggest? A friend suggested Harold Bloom.... will it be sufficient? Appreciate if you can let me know..... Else I will drop this from my reading list and pick it up when I grow to be ready for it...

@mileseramosroman2387 5 месяцев назад

Just started reading Whitman and I am loving him. Do you have a recommendation of other poets that are similar?

@aamnainfebruary 5 месяцев назад

This will greatly help me with my exams. Thank you :)

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

I'm so happy to hear that :) Best of luck for your exams!

@Nuli378 2 месяца назад

Thank you so much from an Israeli poetry lover

@stephenkuester2303 3 месяца назад

Now I re-examine philosophies and religions, they may prove well in lecture rooms, yet not prove at all under the spacious clouds and along the landscape and flowing currents

@NerdilyDone 4 месяца назад

Would you consider looking into One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, or perhaps The Napoleon of Notting Hill?

@susprime7018 5 месяцев назад

You say Falstaff and I smile, that's everyone's reaction, Whitman's too.

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

Very true! Our sack-drinking wit of Eastcheap always brings a huge smile to my face :)

@familygonzcartwright 5 месяцев назад

Hello Ben, I'd like to ask you on your opinion about the paper quality of the Penguin Classics vs the Vintage Editions. Both being owned by Penguin Random House and paperbacks, what do you think of their differences? I'm wondering because of prize but also because some titles aren't in my country in both editions and I would need to compromise with the worse edition or purchase abroad and pay the shipment here.

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

I like both editions, but I have a personal preference for Penguin Classics primarily because I find the Vintage books quite hard to read. The Penguin paperbacks have great margin space and font size, and can be splayed open quite easily. I get a lot of joy from handling my physical copies, so that's a huge factor for me :)

@familygonzcartwright 5 месяцев назад

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thanks for the answer. I know the Everymans are your favorites but that's a different league with hardbacks and I'm saving it for those works I fall madly in love with.

@ozziedylan9903 5 месяцев назад

Oh Captain My Captain

@stephenkuester2303 3 месяца назад

I lean on him almost daily

@geoffreynhill2833 3 месяца назад

How about the poetry of Bob Dylan, Benjamin? 🤔("Green Fire", IngramSpark, geoff nelson hill ) 🌈🦉

@normanleach5427 5 месяцев назад

"There was a child who went forth..."

@rstokes9630 5 месяцев назад

❤

@Roland96351 5 месяцев назад

Your bedside must have quite a stack of books on it.

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

It's absolutely overflowing!

@Roland96351 5 месяцев назад

@@BenjaminMcEvoy haha

@Roland96351 5 месяцев назад

Mine too!

@jayraskin 4 месяца назад

Nice description of Walt Whitman. In 1888, Whitman said it would take 100 years to judge his poetry. Here we are 136 years later. You are right, his poems are still as beautiful and pertinent as it was in his day. Be careful however about confusing his ideas with more modern ideas of later writers like Oscar Wild and D.H. Lawrence. When I was 12 years old in 1965, my Hebrew School took me to hear Allan Ginsberg in Greenwich Village. The poetry he read and chanted from 8-10:30 P.M. was very Buddhist and anti-war. There was about 200 people in the loft. He took a break and over half the audience left. From 11 P.M. to 12 PM his poetry was more personal and more openly erotic and about drug use. I didn't like it. I remember being with a very smart Jewish girl also about 12 years old. At the end of the evening I remember we kissed. It was a very brief goodbye kiss. It was my first kiss by a girl not a relative. I fell in love. I never saw her again.

@TKTalksBooks 5 месяцев назад

I share my birthday with WW! How lucky am I?

@BenjaminMcEvoy 5 месяцев назад

That's so cool! :)

@DanielFernandez-jv7jx 4 месяца назад

ἄνδρα μοι ἔννεπε, μοῦσα, πολύτροπον

@annieluminarias463 4 месяца назад

It may help you understand the Judeo-Christian context for sexuality and marriage by reading and immersing in the Song of Solomon and the apostle Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. Sex within the context of of a Christian marriage is the ultimate pleasure and exquisite form of worship to the One who ordained the husband-wife relationship as an embodiment of Christ’s perfect, lifegiving love for his bride the Church.