Essay Guru-Discussion 3: The Human Being And The Life Cycle
Before posting, read this from the textbook:
Section II: THE HUMAN BEING AND THE LIFE CYCLE:
Walt Whitman, I Sing the Body Electric
Egon Schiele “Embraced Lovers II” 1917
“I paint the light that pours from all the bodies”– said Schiele.
Choose a photo that represents you or some aspect of your life that represents “singing electric” to you and create a stained glass image of it: here:
Stained Glass Creator (Links to an external site.)
Watch Limitless (Links to an external site.)
The Matrix: Learning (1:42)
The Matrix (1999) (Links to an external site.)
1. Is the “poetry of the body” the body’s or the poet’s? Which body part “sings the body electric?”
2. How does the Egon Schiele painting illustrate the concept of “singing the body electric?”
3. What advantages can you see in being able to instant downloading information into your brain, or otherwise speeding up your learning process? What would you do with that power? What subject would you most like to master with this power? What would be the downside?
4. Include the photo of your stained glass image with your post with a short description of why you chose that image to represent you.
Remember that you must answer all parts of the question with as much detail as you can in 3-5 minutes.
Sample Answer
The Human Being And The Life Cycle
The human life cycle refers to the cycle that takes place within human beings and encompasses a span of time corresponding to the various stages of life. It is possible for humans to extend their lifespan if they maintain optimal levels of physical health and nutrition throughout their lives. It is known that the major six stages of the human life cycle, which begins with the prenatal stage, during which fertilisation takes place and foetal development takes place inside a mother, and ends with the death of human beings, are known. The human life cycle begins with the prenatal stage, during which fertilisation takes place, and ends with the death of human beings As a result, death marks the conclusion of the life cycle, which comes after the final stage of the life cycle, which is old age.
In the poem “I Sing the Body Electric,” Walt Whitman investigates the material nature of the human body. In the first part of this talk, the speaker compares the human body to the Christian concept of the soul, arguing that the body is capable of just as much as the soul and that, in a sense, the body is the soul. Furthermore, the speaker contends that the body does not in any way corrupt the soul, despite the widespread Christian belief to the contrary.
In the second portion, Whitman delves into one of his well-known lists and discusses the different ways in which the human body is the ultimate embodiment of perfection. He begins by elaborating on the fact that he will be discussing both the male body and the female body in this piece. He enumerates the qualities that distinguish a “well-made man,” such as the fluidity with which the man’s limbs and joints move, as well as the manner in which the man holds his neck, his waist, his knees, and his back. After that, Whitman goes on to extol a variety of bodies, including those of infants, young girls, mothers, swimmers, rowers, equestrians, and manual laborers. He has a deep appreciation for all of these many types of physical forms, and he is willing to free himself from the limitations of his own body in order to live alongside each of these archetypes.
In the third portion, Whitman focuses his attention more narrowly. He writes in a laudatory manner about a particular farmer who has five boys. When Whitman visited the guy, who was then 80 years old, he described the man as being “full of energy, tranquility, and beauty of person.” Whitman tells the story of the farmer’s children, who had a love for their father that went beyond the typical commitment a kid has to his or her dad. Whitman says that he wishes he could “sit beside him” in his boat and even have some sort of physical interaction with him.
In the brief fourth part, Whitman makes the observation that being surrounded by lovely human bodies “pleases the soul,” and that there is nothing else that could possibly be more wonderful. He discusses the feminine body in the fifth portion and the male body in the sixth section of this work. He honors the female form by emphasizing a woman’s sensuality and her potential to inspire erotic excitement as well as create new life. In doing so, he acknowledges the unique role that women play in the world. His discussion of the male body begins by drawing parallels between that and the feminine body. He recognizes that regardless of the circumstances, the bodies of both men and women are holy.
At a slave auction, the events of sections seven and eight take place. The role of auctioneer is being filled by Whitman at this time. However, he uses his description of these slaves as a way to condemn the practice of slavery, underscoring his belief that all bodies are equally sacred; he says that all of the slaves have “the same red-running blood” running through their veins. He also says that all of the slaves have “the same red-running blood” running through their veins. He makes the argument that nobody can know what these bodies will eventually be capable of producing, as this information is not yet known to anyone (especially since children of slaves automatically became slaves as well). In the last part of the essay, Whitman enumerates all of the aspects of the human body that appeal to his admiration. In the end, he comes to the conclusion that these characteristics not only serve as indicators of the human body, but that the “parts and pieces” of the body also serve as representations of the soul.
The tendency of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass to include explicit portrayals of human sexuality, such as in the poem “I Sing the Body Electric,” was the source of a significant amount of controversy when the collection was originally published. Whitman’s poem “…Body Electric” is his longest and most specific poem dedicated entirely to his appreciation of both the male and female form. Despite the fact that he frequently alludes to the human body in other poems from this collection, “…Body Electric” is Whitman’s longest and most specific poem. Whitman’s signature list structure is prominently featured in this piece and serves as a tool to draw the reader’s attention to the unique qualities of the human body while also celebrating the body parts’ cumulative significance. This structure also features prominently in this piece because it serves as a tool to draw the reader’s attention to the unique qualities of the human body.
Whitman wrote “…Body Electric” in free verse, dividing his words into nine unique portions of varying lengths. The length of each section ranges from one to three lines. Even though this poem could have been just as successful without the numbered, separate verses, the division highlights the specific intent of each verse despite the fact that they are all part of the same poem. This is analogous to the way in which the various parts of the body come together to form a single, cohesive organism. In the end, Whitman argues that the body and the soul are inexorably linked to one another, and that as a result, discounting or mistreating the body is also committing a crime against the soul.
Whitman makes a concerted effort to state (on multiple occasions) that he thinks male and female bodies are on an equal footing. During the period of Walt Whitman, when it was usually assumed that women were socially inferior to males, this viewpoint was seen to be somewhat radical. Having said that, when Whitman is describing the male physique, his tone becomes more intimate, and his prose becomes more adoring of the male body. According to what he has written, “the full-spread pride of a man is relaxing and beneficial to the soul.” This seemingly insignificant distinction could be interpreted by readers as an indication of Walt Whitman’s sexual preference; many historians have theorized that the poet had an attraction to other men.
Complete Answer:
