Subtle Criticism

From canto 32:

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain'd,

I stand and look at them long and long.

This selection from “Song of Myself” shows what Whitman values in a person.  By detailing the reasons for his admiration of animals, Whitman makes clear to the reader what human qualities are important to him.  In the ensuing lines, the poet goes on to profess his happiness with the fact that animals do not complain, do not feel sorry for themselves, do not discuss religion, are not material-obsessed, do not practice unwarranted deference to each other, and do not feel more important that “the whole earth.”  This passage is directed less to animals than it is to human beings.  By applauding animals for avoiding these bad habits, Whitman is demeaning fellow humans for doing them.  This may get lost in translation because he uses a separate medium to voice his qualms, but it is not surprising that the ever optimistic poet chooses to make his point by complementing a group of beings rather than by criticizing the real culprits.