I Sing the Body Electric

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was a visionary with his evocative writing and wielded a huge influence over future American poets. His most extensive work, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855 and was revised eight times until the final version was published in  1891-92. This monumental work celebrates democracy, nature, love and friendship. Upon first publishing Leaves of Grass, he was fired from his job with the Department of Interior for its frankly erotic imagery. Whitman received little public acclaim for this masterpiece during his lifetime.

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Today we often associate the word electric with electricity, however at the time when Leaves of Grass was published, electricity was not widely available in the United States.  At that time, a more common meaning of the word was “very exciting and producing strong feelings” (Cambridge Dictionary). The essence of the piece is to capture the electric joy of living and what it feels like to be alive.

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The text of “I Sing the Body Electric” praises the human body, extolling specific parts and praising the whole. Additionally, the text expresses the similar nature of the body and the soul, saying that they are in fact one. There is a high sense of excitement in the text, with curiosity and wonder of the body.

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Musically, two themes exist throughout. First, the opening theme in the piano parts is a short rhythmic, minimalist feature that underlies the voice parts, giving a sense of intense energy as the work opens. The long vocal lines soar above the exciting accompaniment with the slightest of nods to Handel’s “Zadok the Priest”. The second theme is an exuberant, groovy dance using the text “I Sing the Body Electric”. Beginning with the basses, it is passed through the voice parts and includes a bombastic finish, celebrating the joy of life and living for the body and soul.

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This piece is both a celebration of the wonders of the body and soul as well as celebrating Whitman himself.

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— john frederick HUDSON