A Celebration of Life “I Sing the Body Electric” is one of twelve poems that comprised the 1855 first edition of the self-published masterpiece by Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass. Like other poems, notably “Song of Myself,” it is a celebration of life. It's hard to believe this classic was written during the Civil War. An era historically riddled with slavery and injustice, mass death and discord, as well as the expansion of industrialization, westward exodus and population growth. This 19th century classic defines an age-old problem. In short, the human body is too often disrespected, mistreated, underestimated or taken for granted. According to Whitman, “If anything is sacred, the human body is sacred” (Routledge, section 8), and “if the body were not the soul, what is the soul?” » (Routledge, section 1). An analysis of “I Sing the Body Electric” helps us recognize our eternal state of existence and well-being; a state conceived solely through a unified consciousness of the human body and soul. In it, Whitman poetically expresses his appreciation and respect for the complex spiritual unification between the human body and soul. The idea of ​​a unified consciousness is not limited to mid-19th century America. In fact "... Long before the first glimmers of modern science, doctors and non-physicians alike recognized that the way people felt in their minds could influence the way they reacted in their bodies" (Gohde). By the 1840s and 1850s, functional disorders of the nervous system (also called "neuroses") and the emotional causes that precipitated them had become a major area of ​​clinical study" (Gohde uses a verbose approach to his poem). I Sing the Body ...... middle of paper ...... New York: Garland Publishing, 1998), reproduced with permission. Web. May 11, 2014. < http://www.whitmanarchive.org/criticism / current/encyclopedia/entry_71.html>.Routledge Encyclopedia of Walt Whitman edited by JR LeMaster, Donald D. Kummings.Whitman, Walt “From I Sing the Body Electric” 1855. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature Boston: Bedford /St. Martin's 2012.786-788. Printed May 10, 2014. Wikipedia contributors. “Walt Whitman.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, April 7, 2014. Web. “Walt Whitman: Appreciation of the Human Body through Poetry” WriteWork.com, April 21, 2014. Web May 11.. 2014.