With Some Perspetive Comes Understanding

Whitman is a tough bloke to try and categorize (as we Americans love to do). The reason we have such robust debate as to what label to slap on him, is that Whitman himself didn't know what he was. So instead of trying to force himself, he just poured it all onto the page and said "reader, you figure it out!" He takes us along on every journey where he catalogues everything he sees. Someone in class used the phrase "word vomit" to describe his poetry. This is extreme and unfair. Yes, sometimes Whitman is monotonous and repetitive. But intermingled with, and sometimes right within the catalogue of sights and items, are very striking, beautiful descriptions of non striking things. (see lines 27-48 of "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.") Any one of us could "vomit" out endless descriptions of the minutia of our day, but precious few of us are poets.
If I was initially very anti Whitman; our class discussion forced me to look shallower (first time for me, too) at his work. In doing so I was able to not get lost in the vastness of his world, and thus take away nuggets that made me not dislike him quite so such.
There are two poems that were not part of our selections that I would like to mention. The first is "When I Heard at the Close of Day." It still is undeniably Walt with the listing of activities and first word repetition. But what an achingly gorgeous love letter. This, to me, is Whitman stripped down and allowing us a glimpse of his true self.
The second poem is called "I Sit and Look Out." This is the one poem of Whitman's that I consider truly timeless. It is as relevant now as it was as he composed it, and unfortunately will be in another 150 years. For the first time when I read a poem of his, I picture him not roaming the landscape or mingling with crowds, but alone and pensive. I somehow feel that this was a rare instance that a poem didn't explode from his head to the page. Although it is his style, I feel this piece was slowly crafted. It is a departure for Whitman as here he relinquishes his role as active participant and becomes only the passive observer. The last line succinctly tells us how he feels about that perspective.