“And now it seems to me the beautiful
uncut hair of graves.”
Whitman introduces the motif of hair in "Song of Myself" in the middle of his refusal/attempt to define grass, with the "uncut hair of graves" being one of his definitions. This image transforms the site of decay into a new kind of living organism, with grass as the hair atop something now characterized by life instead of death. Like hair, the grass curls and can grow from a man's chest. Whitman not only infuses death with life but unites plant life with human life.
Whitman introduces the motif of hair in "Song of Myself" in the middle of his refusal/attempt to define grass, with the "uncut hair of graves" being one of his definitions. This image transforms the site of decay into a new kind of living organism, with grass as the hair atop something now characterized by life instead of death. Like hair, the grass curls and can grow from a man's chest. Whitman not only infuses death with life but unites plant life with human life.
“And roll head over heels, and tangle
my hair full of wisps.”
“On a bank lounged the trapper...he
was dressed mostly in skins...his luxuriant
beard and curls protected his neck,
One hand rested on his rifle...the
other hand held firmly the wrist of the red girl.
She had long eyelashes...her head was
bare...her coarse straight locks
descended upon her voluptuous limbs
and reached to her feet.”
I have not included all of the references to beards which Whitman uses throughout "Song of Myself," preferring to concentrate on specific hair references (because there is no shortage of them). That said, this is a good example of how the references to beards function similarly to the references to hair, and we even have some eyelashes to contend with. The trapper is a man who makes his living from the wild, and this guy is even dressed in skins, which associates him closely with animals. His hair, in the form of both curls and beard, is a source of protection and finery, much like how animals have unique physical resources for defense against predators or for display during mating rituals. This scene even takes place during what is a common part of the human mating ritual: the wedding. The description of the bride's hair also emphasizes her fitness for an "open air" life; she needs no ornament for her "coarse" hair and her body is fertile, not fragile. To continue with the association of uncut, tangled hair with nature, this girl's hair is so long that it reaches her feet, and even her eyelashes are long, so her natural ways are well established.
I have not included all of the references to beards which Whitman uses throughout "Song of Myself," preferring to concentrate on specific hair references (because there is no shortage of them). That said, this is a good example of how the references to beards function similarly to the references to hair, and we even have some eyelashes to contend with. The trapper is a man who makes his living from the wild, and this guy is even dressed in skins, which associates him closely with animals. His hair, in the form of both curls and beard, is a source of protection and finery, much like how animals have unique physical resources for defense against predators or for display during mating rituals. This scene even takes place during what is a common part of the human mating ritual: the wedding. The description of the bride's hair also emphasizes her fitness for an "open air" life; she needs no ornament for her "coarse" hair and her body is fertile, not fragile. To continue with the association of uncut, tangled hair with nature, this girl's hair is so long that it reaches her feet, and even her eyelashes are long, so her natural ways are well established.
“The beards of the young men
glistened with wet, it ran from their long hair,
Little streams passed all over their
bodies.”
In this example, the close association of hair and the natural world includes streams instead of grass. This is from the vision of the twenty-eight (and twenty-nine) bathers, and the dripping hair contributes to the overall effect of playful, sensual communion among people and the world around them. Like the intertwining of human and plant life in the grass-as-hair-of-graves lines, the bathers are united with the water, becoming the terrain for new streams.
In this example, the close association of hair and the natural world includes streams instead of grass. This is from the vision of the twenty-eight (and twenty-nine) bathers, and the dripping hair contributes to the overall effect of playful, sensual communion among people and the world around them. Like the intertwining of human and plant life in the grass-as-hair-of-graves lines, the bathers are united with the water, becoming the terrain for new streams.
“The sun falls on his crispy hair and
mustache...falls on the black of his polish'd
and perfect limbs.”
“The woollypates hoe in the
sugarfield, the overseer views them from his saddle;”
“The cleanhaired Yankee girl works
with her sewing-machine or in the factory or
mill,”
“This is the press of a bashful
hand...this is the float and odor of hair,”
“I have pried through the strata and
analyzed to a hair,”
“Mixed tussled hay of head and beard
and brawn it shall be you,”
“The dead face of an old salt with
long white hair and carefully curled whiskers,”
“Behaviour lawless as
snow-flakes...words simple as grass...uncombed head
and laughter and naivete;”
Uncombed hair is in keeping with a naive or lawless demeanor, absent of the artifice of styling, which would convey a regard for others' opinions, whether in the interests of decorum or fashion. There is no sophistication or frivolity here, only hair growing into its natural state. Like the snowflakes, it needs no orchestration.
“Not objecting to special
revelations...considering a curl of smoke or a hair on
the back of my hand as curious as any
revelation;”
This is an example of how Whitman places the physical on par with the spiritual; he claims we can receive revelations or be moved in powerful ways by our bodies which deserve as much credit as knowledge achieved through spiritual means.
“To jump off in the midst of the sea,
and rise again and nod to me and shout, and
laughingly dash with your hair.”
“I depart as air...I shake my white
locks at the runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies and drift
it in lacy jags.”
Overall, Whitman uses the motif of hair to illustrate humankind's close association with nature, and to celebrate the possibility of living outdoors in an idealized natural state. In general (though there are important exceptions), hair is better than no hair, long hair is better than short, and tangled hair is better than styled hair. Wild hair represents someone who is not the human equivalent of a house "full of perfumes," but rather is in touch with her instincts. This is someone who is open to the truth or the poetry of the body as well as of the soul, learning from the physical instead of merely sculpting it into submission.
Overall, Whitman uses the motif of hair to illustrate humankind's close association with nature, and to celebrate the possibility of living outdoors in an idealized natural state. In general (though there are important exceptions), hair is better than no hair, long hair is better than short, and tangled hair is better than styled hair. Wild hair represents someone who is not the human equivalent of a house "full of perfumes," but rather is in touch with her instincts. This is someone who is open to the truth or the poetry of the body as well as of the soul, learning from the physical instead of merely sculpting it into submission.
The wild hair reminded me of the free and flowing savage. The hair being free and flowing, showing signs of understanding of nature. While I'm sure the savage would have wild hair as well. It makes sense that having longer, wild hair would be better than shorter, styled hair for the latter is a sign of culture and societal influence which Whitman seems to advocate the opposite within his poem. Cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think of hair when I hear "free and flowing" as well. There is definitely a rebellion against cultural dictates here.
ReplyDeleteI love the pop culture reference to Willow Smith, haha. The kids I worked with last year would go around singing "I whip my hair back and forth" ALL THE TIME.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of hair... I think it's amusing that the hair that is "growing" is in fact composed of "dead" protein :)
Fantastic! Yes, unlike the rest of us, so to speak, hair keeps growing, like the grass etc. I like your spectrum of hair . . . from tame to wild/culture to nature . . . hair is a pretty weighty cultural signifier (think of all the time "we" devote to hair care) . . .I wonder what conventional middle class hair looked like in 1855? and what a conventional beard looked like?
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