Specimen Days II: To the Spring and Brook

This was a very beautifully simple excerpt. Whitman describes the sounds of a small brook. When writing, it is easy to forget certain senses. It is easy to describe surroundings, imagery being one of those staples you are taught for any form of creative writing. It is easy to forget that sound can also be conveyed, even through written word. Whitman describes the music of nature in a way that makes you really hear it. He also ties it in with lovely metaphor, commenting on how he, like the brook, will "express what I have gather'd in my days and progress". And that is exactly what "A Song of Myself" is. It is the collection of Whitman's experiences conveyed through poetry. I can see why Whitman connected with nature so much.