verely retarded, one who died at infancy, one who died of alcoholism, one who died of tuberculosis, and one who fought and almost died in the Civil War. These things directly effected the writing of this poem. (Lowen, Nancy- page 6).
             "Song to Myself" spoke of his childhood and how it directly affected the fact that he was going to reject the norm, how he did not care about what people thought about him, and his work. "Song of Myself," was considered Whitman's greatest. It was a lyric poem told through the joyful experiences of the narrator. Sometimes the narrator was the poet himself. (Lowen, Nancy- page 6). In other passages, "I" speaks for the human race, the universe, or a specific character, which was dramatized. Like all Whitman's major poems, "Song of Myself" contained symbols. For example, in the poem he described grass as a symbol of life "the babe of vegetation," "the handkerchief of the Lord." Whitman praised God and nature. He exposed his gentle nature to his fellow man, and in doing so expressed his love of the world. This was a love he grew up with and carried with him everywhere he went.
             Whitman loved Long Island and it became a major part of his works. (Webster, Orville III- page 122). He held various jobs throughout his life. He was a printing apprentice, journalist, editor, and school teacher. Walt Whitman sold his first story to "The Democratic Review" shortly after leaving his teaching job. This publication was known to pirate literature from Europe to save money, but it also printed the works of Poe, Lowell, Whittier, Hawthorne, as well as other well-known American lyricists. (Webster Orville III- page 123). It was this publication which gave Whitman his first break as a professional writer. The editor of "The Democratic Review," John L. O'Sullivan, was so impressed with Whitman and his work, he bought at least three more stories from Whitman that very same autumn for the...