"Who Is Now Reading This?"

May-be one is now reading this who knows some wrong-doing of my past life,
Or may-be a stranger is reading this who has secretly loved me,
Or may-be one who meets all my grand assumptions and egotisms with derision,
Or may-be one who is puzzled at me.

As if I were not puzzled at myself!
Or as if I never deride myself! (O conscience-struck! O self-convicted!)
Or as if I do not secretly love strangers! (O tenderly, a long time, and never avow it;)
Or as if I did not see, perfectly well, interior in myself, the stuff of wrong-doing,
Or as if it could cease transpiring from me until it must cease.


Analysis:

This poem is divided into two stanzas. In the first one, Whitman is asking himself who is reading this poem, wand which kind of person. Is it someone who knows Whitman very well, a secret lover, a person who derides him, or just a person who is puzzled at him. Therefore, in the first stanza the tone is flat, possible with a hint of humour and egoism “someone who has secretly loved me”, “puzzled at me” (l.3,6). In the second stanza, the author is comparing himself with other people (it is not specified who), shoeing that he is a normal human being. Also he has derided himself, he too has secretly loved someone, he knows perfectly well his wrong doings (l.6). Therefore, in this poem Whitman is stating that he isn’t any more special that his readers. All these “qualities” are part of the human nature, of being human. The major themes are the human nature and personality. In the first stanza there is an anaphora, “may be”, which symbolizes the possibilities, while in the second there is the anaphora of “or as if I”, showing how the author is no more special that anyone else. I enjoyed analyzing this poem because in it Walt Whitman described himself as a normal human being, and not, for example, as a super talented author. By stating that he isn’t any more special than the readers, made them, and me, feel a bit more important and proud of ourselves.

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/who-is-now-reading-this/