“My” Nude Language for “You”: The Democratic Poetics of Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself

As is shown in his several prose as well as his poetry, the nineteenth century United States and its democratic society and people fascinated Walt Whitman greatly. His arguably most well-known masterpiece, Song of Myself, particularly shows his meticulous attention to its distinctive atmosphere and relationship between people. This article refers to Whitman's prose and Alexis Tocqueville’s works, where the French author recorded his delicate observations on the American democracy at the time, and examines how Whitman wanted to represent individuals as members of a democratic society in poetry. I will discuss how “I” relates to the reader “you,” focusing on the linguistic aspects and the representation of identity. Whitman’s emphasis on the human body, which is a key aspect of the unique aspect of the self and the individuality will be also discussed. (Daegu University)