myself and sing myself And what I assume you shall assume For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you This claim makes the self a shared space Matter and spirit move across all people Streets work and voices enter the song The self grows by equal fellowship and sympathy Soul and body open toward every other self Body and Soul As One The poem never splits body from soul He treats both as pure and good Breath heartbeat and touch feel sacred here Country roads and city crowds bless flesh Kisses sweat and sleep carry quiet meaning He bathes eats sings and welcomes strangers kindly The senses guide thought not oppose it Thus the body bears calm spiritual light The soul moves through real simple acts Unity appears in ordinary lived moments and scenes Nature and the Cosmic Self Nature mirrors the self and the soul A grass-blade equals a starry path The speaker firmly says I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars Inner and outer worlds match in worth He also claims serene balance with reality He declares Clear and sweet is my soul and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul Hills rivers birds and workers speak together Thus the self expands with every sight and sound Death and Continuity of Life Death becomes change within the larger life Nature shows the law of return The poet utters The smallest sprout shows there is really no death Loss turns to growth in earth s wide course He even vows a living return He says I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles Thus soul and self outlive each end Self-Reliance and Inner Journey The poem teaches strong patient self-reliance Guidance can help but the path is personal Whitman says Not I not any one else can travel that road for you You must travel it for yourself No priest or book can replace effort Discovery fits each mind time and place Contradictions remain within one honest self Therefore growth requires courage and inward trust at all times In summary Whitman treats soul self and body as one He honors flesh without lowering the spirit He spreads the self into every other self Nature becomes partner teacher and proof Death turns into movement not a blank end Personal travel remains necessary for true insight Thus the poem unites freedom fellowship and faith Its voice stays near ordinary streets and fields Through that nearness the poem makes holiness feel human