18 October 2000 American Literature: 1860-1912 Dr. Figg The Idea of Equality in "Song of Myself" In Chants 15 and 19, Whitman uses the idea of equality to convey his belief that God is the divine creator of all things and thus they should all be treated impartially. Although the same idea of equality is disclosed in both sections, Whitman uses two intensely different examples to further illustrate his point of view. In Chant 15, for example, Whitman presents the …showed first 75 words of 489 total…

…showed last 75 words of 489 total…world, Whitman implies that we all have something in common because we are all God’s children. "Song of Myself" is a poem that portrays the mystical experience undergone by the author that he attributes to God, which ultimately changes his view of the world and his relation to the entities within it. This is what formulates his view of the equality of all things because they are the divine creations of God. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**