Whitman recalls a few moments of his childhood, meeting General Lafayette of the American Revolutionary War at the opening of a library in Brooklyn, one that Whitman frequented with reading many books and poetry, the first reading he heard by Elias Hicks, one of the better known preachers of the Quakers that in fact had a lot impact on Whitman, as well as working in an office, learning how to read and write.
The way Whitman speaks of these events doesn't give them any importance. The only judgments we get are on his "nice desk" and the books and poetry in which he read: Arabian nights being an 'amazing treat' and how he ''continue(s) to enjoy novels and poetry to this day.) What is the point of this style? I know that Elias Hicks had a large impact on his beliefs and preaching styles, why not mention his influence? We know that Whitman was chosen out of very few by Lafayette to be picked up and hugged. Why do we have to find this out from John Burroughs? Normally Whitman is very long winded in his descriptions... in Song of Occupations he goes on for 2 pages describing occupations of average Americans. Why not do this for himself?
I think this shows Whitman's commitment to the modern culture, leaving his individual history out of the picture so he can focus on whats good for the country and public as a whole. This even is reflected on the certain memories he recalls, meeting a famous American General, hearing a reading by a man that advocates equality, learning the medium in which he later uses to convey the importance represented by these two men. It's interesting that he does in fact only comment on books for they are creations by other people. In fact, Arabian Nights tells 1,000 stories representing common moral among humanity, what Whitman tries to address throughout the entirety of his body of work.
Whitman For America!
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