Poem Reflection

"I have said that the soul is not more than the body,

And I have said that the body is no more than the soul,

And nothing, not God, is greater to one than one's self is,

And whoever walks a furlong without sympathy walks to his own funeral drest in his shroud,

And I or you pocketless of a dime may purchase the pick of the earth,

And to glance with an eye or show a bean in it's pod confounds the learning of all times,

And there is no trade or employment but the young man following it may become a hero,

And there is no object so soft but it makes a hub for the wheel'd universe,

And I say to any man or woman, Let your soul stand cool and composed 

before a million universes."

Whitman begins to sum up what he has been talking about when he says that the body and soul are equal. He emphasizes that the self is more important than anything, even God. He goes on about how having sympathy is essential to one's life and without it, you are walking to your own funeral. He says that even a poor man can have anything he wants, and a man can become a hero from his job. Whitman wants people to be more interested with themselves and others, rather than trying to figure out about God. This section is very inspirational and it's a good viewpoint on why you should focus on yourself and others because it allows you to open up a whole new world of curiosity and self-exploration.