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The word that I chose to research: august. The few lines that surround this word are found on page 46 and they are as follows:

“I know I am august,

I do not trouble my spirit to vindicate itself or be understood,

I see that the elementary laws never apologize,

I reckon I behave no prouder than the level I plant my house by after all.”

 

The first bit of research I did was looking up the OED’s definition for “august” to see how many different uses of the word there are.  As a noun, “August” is simply the 8th month of the year, which at this point I cannot relate to the context in which the word is set within “Song of Myself.” However, the OED gives definitions for “august” as a verb and as an adjective. As a verb, it means “to ripen, bring to fruition”; as an adjective, it means majestic, stately, solemnly grand, amoung many others. The closest definition that Merriam-Webster gives is most related to OED’s adjective definition.

  My next step in research was taking a look at the life and history of Caesar Augustus (Roman Emporer) to see if there was any relation to his character or political life that had any kind of relevance to Whitman and his life. The most interesting point I came across was the section of the  page was “The Augustan Age”, which stated that Augustus was the empire’s “‘patron of the arts.” This section also mentioned how the Augustan era produced some of Rome’s most influencial writers.

The last piece of my research endeavors was looking for a video clip of a movie that came out a couple of years ago called “August Rush,” about a young, orphaned boy who uses his musical talents to find his birth parents. When I listened to this piece, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to become encapsulated with the music, which then reminded me of Whitman. He always did his best to be surrounded by and engrossed with nature. (see YouTube)

 

How it all comes together?

As I mentioned earlier, I do not quite see how August as a month relates to Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” nor do I wish to connect the two. Therefore, keeping in mind Whitman’s longing for individualism and originality, similar to Evan’s longing for his birth parents in “August’s Rush,” I seem to be drawn to the idea that the purpose for Whitman’s use of the word “august” is most likely the adjective, rather than the verb, both suggested by the OED. Although an argument could be made for the verb in that Whitman believed he constantly “ripened” his senses to his surroundings and therefore “bore the fruits” of his labor out and about in Philadelphia, NYC, DC, and Camden, I still wish to side with the adjective definition. As the definition states that it is “majestic, stately, etc,” I get the sense  from Whitman that he believes himself to be as close to God (majestic) as anybody and is so self-centered in ways that he knows who he is and, again, is pointing out his trademarks (or flaws, as some may see them) on purpose for the reader. This attitude definitely echoed throughout the remainder of the poem.

 

 

 

<<————-     …Now that’s what you call “august” !

My rendezvous is appointed, it is certain,

The Lord will be there and wait till I come on perfect terms,

The great Camerado, the lover true for whom I pine will be

         there.

I know I have the best of time and space, and was never

          measured and never will be measured.

 

I tramp a perpetual journey, (come listen all!)

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