Human Interconnectedness in Whitman s Poem of the Body
To Whitman, the body and soul are inseparable. The body is the vessel that allows the soul to experience the world. In Whitman’s “Poem of the Body,” he celebrates the body of all people. ... Any one who “degrades or defiles the living human body is cursed” (95). To Whitman, the body should not be denied sensual nor common contact. It is through physical contact that one human being can forge connections with another human being. To Whitman, these forgings of human connections are very important because we are all united by a universal mind. We are all human beings, and we are all American citizens. He lists each seemingly trivial body part because each small part works toward a greater whole. The various organs come together to form a human body, and more importantly, the soul. Similarly, various pieces in Whitman’s poem come together to show the greatness of the human body and its supreme purpose: to forge human relationships.