WHITMAN'S SEXUAL LIBERATION

Walt Whitman is one of the greatest poets in the American history and he is very well known for having written several poems I which he openly expresses sexual-related contents which by the time were almost forbidden and highly criticized by the society. Above all, Whitman is recognized for having started this “sexual and homosexual” liberation, which soon lead to the generation of social movements.

In some of his poems, the author mentions this brotherhood love which has been translated by many other authors and investigators as gay love. The truth is that all this theories of Whitman being a gay person makes sense, meaning that this could be one of the source from which he took material to write about. He might have been homosexual and he might not have been homosexual. From my point of view this is not what is important, what matter the most is his invitation to open our minds in all senses, to fly out of our cage and knock down the boundaries we put to ourselves. In simpler words I believe he is inviting us to enjoy the love the way it is, without gender discrimination.

Furthermore, Whitman’s sexual and emotional life is a complete riddle; he went through different episodes along his life which he posted on his poems. Whatever reason, Whitman certainly became a prophet of the sexual liberation and the self experimentation, which caused his poems to be banned several times.

“Some say that Whitman is America's greatest embarrassment, because if what he says about democracy is true, that gay liberation is inevitable, then the American ideal of universal equality is inherently homosexual, and homosexual love is the physiological basis of democracy”.

WE TWO BOYS TOGETHER CLINGING

We two boys together clinging                            

One the other never leaving
Up and down the roads going, North and South excursions making,
Power enjoying, elbows stretching, fingers clutching,
Arm’d and fearless, eating, drinking, sleeping, loving,
No law less than ourselves owning, sailing, soldiering, thieving, threatening,
Misers, menials, priests alarming, air breathing, water drinking, on the turf or the sea-beach

dancing,
Cities wrenching, ease scorning, statutes mocking, feebleness chasing,

Fulfilling our foray.

 Further reading:

http://www.directessays.com/viewpaper/99230.html#

http://rictornorton.co.uk/whitman.htm 

http://msendaba.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/why-did-several-poems-written-by-walt-whitman-have-homosexual-themes-if-he-was-not-gay-redone/#