Song of Myself (Part 17) - Walt Whitman
Reflections on Shared Thoughts and Universal Belonging
These are really the thoughts of all men in all ages and lands, they are not original with me,
If they are not yours as much as mine they are nothing, or next to nothing,
If they are not the riddle and the untying of the riddle they are nothing,
If they are not just as close as they are distant they are nothing.
This is the grass that grows wherever the land is and the water is,
This the common air that bathes the globe.
In Part 17 of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” the poet underscores the idea that his words merely give voice to truths we all hold. He insists that if these lines are not also yours—if they do not resonate in your own experience—then they hold no real value. By doing this, Whitman places his poetry in the realm of shared ownership, revealing a core principle of his work: the dissolution of barriers between speaker and reader, individual and collective.
The reference to “the riddle and the untying of the riddle” suggests that we, as humans, constantly seek to explain and understand life’s great questions. For Whitman, the answers are not hidden in some distant domain but dwell within the common heart of humanity. In other words, truth is a shared enterprise. His lines challenge us to see that the act of reading isn’t passive; we must actively accept, reject, or interpret his thoughts for them to carry lasting significance.
He then turns to the image of grass, a recurring motif in “Song of Myself.” Grass is both mundane and miraculous—an everyday sight that thrives wherever land and water meet, yet a powerful symbol of unity. It conveys how life spreads freely across the world, just as air surrounds us. For Whitman, grass expresses continuity, democracy, and an egalitarian spirit. No matter one’s rank or region, we all draw from the same life force. He also echoes his earlier assertion that grass binds us to those who have passed on, evoking the idea that existence flows in an unbroken chain from generation to generation.
In less than a handful of lines, Whitman connects the cosmic and the commonplace: universal thoughts belong to us all, and grass is the tangible reminder that we inhabit a common ground. The poem thus invites readers to own their parts in the collective story, merging the poet’s language with their own inner voices.
Ultimately, Part 17 crystallizes Whitman’s democratic ethos. By saying these ideas are “the thoughts of all men in all ages,” he obliterates the notion that profound truths belong to an elite few. Instead, everything central to life—our questions, our answers, and even the humble grass—lies within and around us, shared by every member of the human community. This emphasis on inclusivity and connection is at the heart of Whitman’s vision, calling each of us to acknowledge our place in the ever-growing field of collective human experience.
Key points
• Whitman views his ideas as reflections of universal human truths rather than personal inventions.
• The poet’s words are meaningful only if we embrace them as our own.
• Grass functions as a symbol of common ground and shared life force.
• Whitman’s work exemplifies democratic ideals by emphasizing inclusivity and collective identity.
• Part 17 encourages readers to see life’s biggest riddles as existing within each one of us.
