One question that stood out to me while reading Walt Whitman’s poem Song of Myself was “To be in any form, what is that?” (Section 27). We see so many different faces on a daily basis but never stop to think about what those individuals may be going through or experiencing in their lives. Why is that the case? Many of us are afraid to step out of our comfort zones and experience something new, unfamiliar. Before attending Baruch College, I studied at Hunter College where I expressed no interest in developing any kind of relationships with my classmates. As soon as class was over, I left the building and did not look back. After transferring to Baruch College, my attitude in regards to meeting new people shifted completely. As a Business major, not only did I begin to understand the importance of social networking but also the importance of learning about people’s experiences. By sharing our past experiences, we are letting others gain a better understanding of who we are. In the same sense, it is important for us not to have a “callous shell” and not disregard those around us (Section 27). We need to make a bigger effort to “touch [our] person to some one else’s” and this will, without a doubt, strengthen our relationships with others (Section 27). Therefore from time to time, we should stop and acknowledge those around us because they can have a positive influence on our life.
2 thoughts on “Response to “Song of Myself””
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You’ve made avery interesting connection to the text. Social networking is indeed a very important part of our college career as business students, but I find that majority our students at Baruch don’t bother getting involved. Personally, I have found that attending clubs and events at Baruch is probably the best way to connect with fellow students. And as you mentioned we must all try and interact amongst one another so that we can get an understanding of each others lives.
I really liked this post, it is relatable to a lot of our college lives. We have the opportunity to make friend and connections with people who are clearly interested in similar things to us but for some reason we don’t jump at the opportunity slapping us in the faces every morning! I commend you for making the effort.