The video I chose was the sixth chapter of Song of Myself, which was read by a youtuber. In the video, the pictures of grass and children are used to match the text in the poem. When I closed my eyes to listen to this chapter, I thought that reading this way made me more immersed.
What I am most interested in in this chapter is that it raises the topic of racial equality through a problem with children, that is, “A child said What is the grass?”. In the era of the author Walt Whitman, the racial issues remain one of the main contradictions in American society. In Song of Myself, the author did not use sharp language to explain his point of view. But there are lots of good sentences, for example, “Or I guess it is a uniform hieroglyphic, And it means, Sprouting alike in broad zones and narrow zones, Growing among black folks as among white, Kanuck, Tuckahoe, Congressman, Cuff, I give them the same, I receive them the same.”. The words are very powerful when someone reads it out and agrees with what he expresses. This expression is not intense, but the author’s first-person perspective will make readers more immersive.
I am impressed by a passage in the following paragraph: “What do you think has become of the young and old men? And what do you think has become of the women and children? They are alive and well somewhere”. This passage makes people feel integrated into some elements of religion and philosophy. When people die, they will go to heaven to be quiet. At the same time, they also suggest that regardless of skin color, gender, age, and after everyone’s death, everyone’s home is equal and quiet. Through the question and answer method, the author gives the readers an affirmative answer. At the same time, when the author wrote down the question, he also thinks about it. It makes people feel that there is a lot of inquiry about philosophy in this poem.
Another reason I like this passage is that I agree with the author’s point of view. I believe that people should be equal and respectful, regardless of race. I chose this video also because the readers read it with rich emotion. When I close my eyes and admire, I feel that these words will be conveyed to the depths of everyone’s heart. Maybe I can’t fully understand it, but this rich emotion can be transmitted and touched.