In the poem “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman, the term “untranslatable” is used to reference that the idea of self-identity can never be fully expressed. The concept of self-identity inherently evolutionary and infinite. In the first section of the poem, the author diminishes the idea of self-identity entirely by alluding to the notion that everything in nature is somehow connected. He says “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” (Whitman 3) and “Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same” (Whitman 8-9). He is effectively saying that trying to differentiate ourselves from one another is meaningless as we are all intertwined by nature. However, when we transition into the second section, he seems to diverge from that initial idea and bring up the concept of self-identity. The author presents us with sensations that he would like to indulge in. He says “I breathe the fragrance myself, and know it and like it” (Whitman 19) as well as, “It is for my mouth forever…. I am in love with it” (Whitman 23). As we can see, this is a stark contrast to the first section with diminishes the concept of self- identity. The author does this to show that self- identity is in a constant state of evolution. In the sixth section, the concept of self-identity is lost due to its infiniteness. When asked by a child about the nature of grass, the author seems puzzled. He could describe their physical features but there is much than just that. As he remains baffled, an important question arises. If everything in nature is connected as he claims in the first section, and grass is part of nature, if he doesn’t understand the nature of grass then that means he doesn’t understand his own identity. As a result, the term “untranslatable” means everyone is constantly searching for their own identity.

-Benny Chan