A Song of Myself
Summary
Host Nate DiMeo shares a 2016 reading of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” after listeners reported it missing from feeds. He contextualizes the poem with a pre-election intro from Phoenix, reflecting on the era’s anxiety. The episode serves as a time capsule, offering the full text for new and returning audiences to experience Whitman’s democratic vision.
Topics discussed
Sponsor segment: Function Health and wellness trends
Host introduction and listener feedback on past episodes
Transition to reading Walt Whitman's Song of Myself
Whitman: Celebrating the self and rejecting second-hand views
Whitman: The grass as a uniform hieroglyphic and equality
Whitman: Observations on life, death, and the city
Whitman: Scenes of labor, nature, and diverse people
Whitman: Enamored with outdoor life and common people
Whitman: Catalog of everyday figures and American diversity
Whitman: Accepting all, including the wicked and unknown heroes
Whitman: The present moment and the soul's dwelling
Whitman: Miracles of sensation and the power of vision
Whitman: Listening to the sounds of the world and touch
Whitman: The insignificance of machinery and the miracle of small things
Whitman: Living with animals and scenes of rural life
Whitman: Festivals, nature, and the approach to battle
Whitman: War, death, and the Alamo
Whitman: Prison, shame, and the friendly savage
Whitman: Embracing the sick, the weak, and the duplicates of self
Whitman: Faith, the cosmos, and the limitless span of time
Whitman: The bold swimmer, God in all things, and containing multitudes
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