Chanting the Square Deific

This poem that Whitman wrote was very nice. It was calm and it had a nice background in it. Whitman did a good job with organizing this poem, which he is known not to do very well. Anyway, when you think of God sometimes people call him the Son, the Holy Spirit, or the Father. Well this story, which is called "Chanting the Square Deific" it introduces a fourth element that has to do with God.

The first stanza has to do with God taking the lives of people. Which in someone's view is probably not right because everybody sins in some way or another and God always gives them a second chance at life or whatever the deal is. Here is a quote from the story that might give you more of a background, "Not Time affects me-I am Time, old, modern as any, Unpersuadable, relentless, executing righteous judgements, As the Earth, the Father, the brown old Kronos, with laws, Aged beyond computation, yet ever new, ever with those mighty laws rolling, Relentless I forgive no man--whoever sins dies--I will have that man's life" (Whitman). This quote basically explains all of what I was talking about. About how God is relentless and whoever sin's, that he will take that man's life which is the part that I do not find true. God gives everybody a second chance.

In the second stanza, it was sort of inspiring. Whitman wrote, "From this side, lo! the Lord Christ gazes--lo! Hermes !--lo! mine is Hercules' face. All sorrow, labor, suffering, I, tallying it, absorb in myself, Many times have I been rejected, taunted, put in prison, and crucified, and many times shall be again" (Whitman). This is saying that God has been rejected by a lot of people, but he never goes away. He absorbs it and it makes him more strong than he already is. "He absorbs all sin in himself" (Oliver) so he becomes stronger.

The third stanza talks about Satan. Here is a quote from the poem, "Aloof dissatisfied, plotting revolt, Comrade of criminals, brother of slaves, Crafty, despised, a drudge, ignorant" (Whitman). This is just talking about Satan and what he is. He says "brother of slaves" (Whitman), which means he has a "soft heart for the downtrodden" (Oliver). Satan creates a balance between good and evil. There has to be something that makes everything balanced out, in this case it is Satan to balance out the Square Deific.

The final stanza just puts everything together. "Santa Spirita, breather, life, Beyond the light, lighter than light" (Whitman). This is saying that God will keep us together through the thick and the thin. It is our job to believe in him and and trust him. Whitman, throughout this poem, does a good job with organization by talking about each side of the Square Deific. Overall, this poem was very well put together and talked a lot about spirituality.

Bibliography

Whitman, Walt. "Chanting The Square Deific." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 03 Apr.

Oliver, Charles M. "'Chanting the Square Deific'." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.