Leaves of Grass 7

Walt Whitman, an American, one of the roughs, a kosmos / Disorderly fleshy and sensual....eating drinking and breeding, / No sentimentalist....no stander above men and women or apart from them....no more modest than immodest. / Unscrew the locks from the doors! / Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!

Importance
This is the first time Whitman addresses himself by name. Because he uses a name that was given to him (instead of choosing one himself), Whitman shows that he is, like other people, bound to the rules of society. In addition, by using his name, he is showing that while he has achieved some degree of success in life, he is no different from the people with whom he inhabits the planet. The end of the quote shows a change in style and so marks a change in theme. He had been describing reality earlier in the poem, but now he is deconstructing it.

Analysis
Whitman refers to himself in the third person, which is different from the more informal first person. This can either show a detachment from his body or a kind of self-awareness. I believe that he is becoming self-actualized. He is describing himself in terms of earthly identities (his nationality) and human identities (fundamental actions like eating and reproducing). Because he has finally come to a conclusion that he can exist as both of these things at once, he has conquered reality. Toward the end, he tells the reader to take apart their doors, and by doing this, he is trying to articulate his understanding of the relationship between humans, their constructions, and nature. He no longer wants to preserve social development and this shows that he wants to return to a life without the constraints of doors (and the people that make them). This is Whitman rebelling. He also tells the reader he is no different from any other person, showing his commitment to parts of him that are common to other people.

Leaves of Grass 6

Smile O voluptuous coolbreathed earth! / Earth of the slumbering and liquid trees! / Earth of the departed sunset! Earth of the mountains misty-topt! / Earth of the vitreous pour of the full moon just tinged with blue! / Earth of the shine and dark mottling the tide of the river! / Earth of the limpid gray of clouds brighter and clearer for my sake! / Far-swooping elbowed earth! Rich apple-blossomed earth! / Smile, for your lover comes! / Prodigal! you have given me love!...therefore I to you give love! / O unspeakable passionate love! / Thruster holding me tight and that I hold tight! / We hurt each other as the bridgeroom and bride hurt each other.

Importance
In this section, Whitman moves away from the idea that humans are all connected and instead moves to a topic about being a part of nature. This shows the progression from a line of thinking that is confined to the boundaries of the mind to a line of thinking that is not bound by anything except the universe. This section also contains different syntax and punctuation patterns so it draws the readers attention away from the stanzas that end in periods instead of exclamation points. The change of voice to one that is excited and enthralled enough to use more emotion signifies that this is an area to which attention should be paid.

Analysis
Whitman starts this with an apostrophe, which is different from how he previously addressed the earth. Because he is speaking directly to it, he is showing a kind of relationship with it and introduces the new idea of being a part of the earth itself. Each line starts the same way which shows the speakers increasing excitement as he uses vivid imagery to beautifully describe the varied aspects of nature. At the end he says that he and the earth hurt each other as a husband and wife do, so that shows his belief of the fine line between love and violence; Whitman may be "married" to the earth (i.e. bound to it forever) and he does love it, but he also hurts it as all humans must. Earth reacts by also hurting men, through natural disasters and other events. He also refers to the earth as "prodigal" so this can be a reference to the Prodigal son. While the word itself means "money-squandering", Whitman can use it to mean "leaving and then returning". Whitman's unconditional love toward nature in this section marks a change in the poem's overall tone.