"Chanting the Square Deific" - Analysis

Walt Whitman spent a great deal of his life searching for his transcendental self. A large part of his transcendental self was the religion that he was introduced to in his life. Whitman's poem "Chanting the Square Deific" is a different view on traditional religious views. The Christian faith believes in a trinity, consisting of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Whitman's poem was a depiction of a "square deific" (Whitman). The four aspects of the square deific are God, Christ, Satan and the Soul (Oliver). Whitman provided a rough outline of his transcendental self, using the square deific, by describing the for parts of his being.

God, the first stanza and side of the square deific, is depicted as many different gods from other cultures. The "God" characterization is very similar to a father character. The God in Whitman's square deific believes "whoever sins dies" (Whitman). The God does not believe in forgiveness, and even after the days of no redemption for humans, will continue to give out criticism to the people (Whitman). The God does not sound like our version of God because this God is not an understanding God. This God is a merciless God, and he described himself as such. When compared to a father character, God must be strict. It is the father's job, much like God's job, to have little remorse towards all people. 

The next side of the square deific is almost the complete opposite of the God. The Christ is a completely understanding and compassionate Christ. He acknowledged that  he had been crucified many times, and would be again (Whitman). Christ was a "half man/half God" character, much like the other examples from the poem. Hercules and Hermes, both half God characters, are referenced in the poem (Whitman). The Christ sacrificed many things for little in return, and even offered wisdom as well as affection. Christ will "absorb" all the sorrow and suffering in the world, all for the soul's sake (Whitman). This side of the square deific is one of the most important. Christ is a comparison for selflessness. Christ is a person who is more concerned with others than himself, which is a characteristic of transcendental self that a person should aspire to have. Christ would give everything up for someone else, just like a truly good person will give up themselves for another person.

Satan is the side opposite God in the square deific. Satan, according to the Bible, is a fallen angel. Satan is the "brother of slaves," confirming that he is a fallen angel. Since the poem is written in first person, Satan would refer to his "brothers," the other angels, as slaves to Christ (Whitman). Whitman stressed the importance of both good and evil in the deific, demonstrating that a truly well rounded person will have both good and bad qualities. Satan would not change his ways, leading the reader to assume that stubbornness is a common quality in a person's transcendental self, upon deep reflection. Whitman wrote that Satan was "in the depths of my heart, proud as any" (Whitman). Whitman was concluding that even he, not wanting to admit it, had a darker part of his true being deep down.

The Spirit side of the square deific is a much more abstract concept to analyze. However, Whitman even wrote that the Spirit was "the most solid" (Whitman). The Spirit represents many things, including the people, life and the light. God transfers himself through light or fire, meaning that God transfers himself through the Spirit. The Spirit is a "breather of life" (Whitman). The Spirit is responsible for giving life purpose, a very important part of Whitman's transcendental self. The soul is, in essence, Whitman's transcendental self because contained in the Spirit are the other three sides of the square deific. Would that really make it a square deific, or just a trinity like many other religious forms. Were we even talking about religion at all?

Oliver, Charles M. "'Chanting the Square Deific'." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW082&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 3, 2012).

Whitman, Walt. "Chanting the Square Deific." The Walt Whitman Archive. Ed. Kenneth M. Price. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2012. <http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/247>.