Leaves of Grass · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.

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Chapter 1
Epigraph
The Soul calls to the Body to write verses together, affirming their unity. The poet signs his name to these verses, hoping that after death or in other spheres, he may continue to own and resume these chants, which are rooted in the earth's elements.
Chapter 2
Leaves of Grass
This foundational chapter introduces the poet's expansive vision of democracy, individuality, and the unity of body and soul, celebrating nature, comradeship, and the American spirit.
Chapter 3
Inscriptions
The opening poems of 'Inscriptions' establish the poet's identity, his democratic vision, and his role as a unifier of soul and body, celebrating individuality, comradeship, and the American spirit.
Chapter 4
One's-Self I Sing
The poet declares his intent to sing of the individual self, yet simultaneously of the democratic collective. He celebrates the complete human form—body and soul, male and female—and the modern individual acting freely under divine laws.
Chapter 5
As I Ponder’d in Silence
The poet reflects on his work and is confronted by a phantom representing the ancient poetic tradition that insists war is the only enduring theme. The poet responds by asserting that his own book wages a greater war—one for life, death, body, and soul—and that he too promotes brave soldiers in this spiritual battle.

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