A review by colin_cox
Song of Myself by Walt Whitman

5.0

It has taken some time for Whitman's "Song of Myself" to develop into a genuine interest. Since first reading it as an undergraduate, I have held a begrudging affection for Whitman's meandering, self-reflective poem, and I suspect it's because I could not determine how to understand the sense of optimism and promise that permeates nearly every line. Much has changed since I first read "Song of Myself," and that appears to be significant. I am older, I have a son, and I like to think that what was once an unbearably pessimistic disposition, has evolved into something far less angst-ridden, and by extension, more mature.

During our class discussion, I told my students that Whitman seems to attract a thoughtful and mature reader. I could not say (nor can I now) if that's the critical consensus. It just felt right to me.