Song of Myself is a poem of bold statements that self-servingly assert Walt Whitman's place and purpose in the context of a world of immense scope and romantic vigor. And yet, within this chaotic unfolding of identity, there is one piece of the poem that stands out as a visibly guarded fragment of reflection. This breather moment in Whitman's otherwise forceful tirade comes at the opening of section 11, which deals with Whitman's repressed homosexual desires. The silent repetition and connected lines of questioning in this section come together to create a latent persistence of the sexual urges described. Towards the end of the section, Whitman introduces erotic images and a careful interplay of terse and soft, sensual sounds to give a gripping touch to his desires. These desires are not expressed in the first person, but rather manifest through imaginative action in the mind of the section's female character. Thus, the poet manages to integrate vivid sensuality into the section while removing himself from the stage in order to create a poetic puppet show about his own sexual dilemma. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The repetition in the first three lines of the section serves to immediately establish its separation from the rest of the poem. The “twenty-eight young men” that open these lines are unlike Whitman's other repetitions: they do not carry the charged momentum of affirmation, but rather reflect a progressive contemplation due to their brevity and simple language and connective. The first line simply indicates the presence of men. The second verse alludes to the woman's attraction to them by emphasizing their "friendliness." The third verse adds a melancholy response which places this attraction in the context of the woman's sexual repression. By describing her life as "so lonely," the speaker clearly expresses sympathy for her need to remain cooped up in her house, disguised in "nice clothes." The strange obviousness of calling her life "feminine" is Whitman's first recognition that her condition represents his own. The wording is strange to describe a repressed woman, but makes perfect sense to describe the femininity of the poet's own sexual desires. Like her, he is forced to hide his desires behind metaphorical blinds. By placing this revelation at the end of three repetitive lines, Whitman manages to capture the persistence of these desires, thereby further evoking an air of sympathy around his condition of repressed homosexuality. After establishing the woman's imprisonment as representing sexual repression, the poem presents two of the couplets that open with questions. These four lines are both curious and declarative in their progressive exploration of repression. By asking: “Which of the young men does she prefer?” then by answering “the simplest”, Whitman fully establishes the sexual attraction mentioned in the third line. The second set of questions delves deeper into the disparity between the watching woman's mental state and her active state. In his mind, as in that of the poet, the attraction to men compels the viewer to wander to the bathing site. The long, happy vowels of the phrase “splash in the water yonder” transform into the kind of carefree sexual expression the poet desires. Yet the terse, stiff vowels and accusatory consonants of “yet remain still” follow with an undermining of this sexual fantasy. This harsh return to reality reflects.