Journal #35 - Chanting the Square Deific

Upon analyzing this poem by Walt Whtman, I have read the poem out loud to myself multiple times so that I would understand it as much as possible. The first step is to find the literal meaning of the poem. I think that the literal meaning of the poem is simple. He talks about how God is great and the wonderful deeds that he has done. But he also talks about Satan and what he is capable of. I think that by mentioning both of them that he means to say that to believe in one we must accept the other as part of this world. If not the world would not go 'round. I believe that Whitman ties all of this together in the last paragraph when he talks about the sun and the moon. I think that he is relating these to the sunject matter by saying that these words because of both sides of the spectrum. The next step in this process is determining the figerative language that is present in the poem. I have notived some alliteration at the beginning of the poem when he writes Out with the Old. He also says Solid, four Sided, from this Side. These are examples of his alliteration. The personal meaning is the next portion of the process. I personally find about the same meaning as the literal meaning. I think this is a valid point and that it makes a lot of sense to believe in that. Because there would be no spectrum without both good and evil. The world would not be the same is all of the evil were gone as well as all of the good. It is a logical approach to faith which actually makes a lot of snese to me. I think that he helps people keep life in context, because life is not completely good nor completely evil. This is a good reminder to have and Whitman did a good job getting the message across.