In 1855, Walt Whitman, an influential American poet, published the first edition of his collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass, which included a controversial piece: "I Sing the Body”. Electric." Whitman wrote the poem in the 19th century and before the Civil War, in a free verse genre. Harold Bloom, American critic and professor at Yale University, mentions in his book Bloom's How to Write about Walt Whitman that equality is one of the central norms of American society and that for most of Whitman's life, "America struggled to fulfill the promise of equality for all" (Bloom 107). , the male and female stereotypes of the 1800s were assigned defined roles in society: "The man with the head, the woman with the heart" (Larke). The woman stayed at home and performed defining tasks. her role as a wife and mother On the other hand, the role of the man was to be involved in external activities Today, changes in ideas and aspirations differentiate the roles of men and women less. . Women retain the main responsibilities in matters of home and children; however, unlike the 19th century, equality is greater. Whitman views democracy as a means of integrating the ideas of individuals into everyday life, so that all are considered equal. The poem is divided into nine sections in which Whitman questions conventional gender roles in the 19th century. In "I Sing the Body Electric," Whitman argues that all bodies are equally important, regardless of race, gender, or social differences, while expressing concern about the limitations of gender roles based on norms of 19th century society. Through the use of a parallel structure, Whitman provides a catalog of the body by enumeration and ...... middle of paper ...... should be considered the same. Works Cited Whitman, Walt. “I sing the electric body.” Poetry Research Center. Academy of American Poets. February 13, 2011. Asselineau, Roger. “The Evolution of Walt Whitman.” Asselineau, Roger. The Evolution of Walt Whitman. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1999. 814. Bloom, Harold. “Bloom explains how to write about Walt Whitman.” New York: Maple Press, York PA, 2009. 264. Jeffrey Briggs, Anabel Villalobos, Esther Chow, Thomas Hsieh. The Writing Studio: Wiki Page: I Sing Walt Whitman's Electric Body". January 2011. February 14, 2011. Larke, Sean. Role of Men and Women in the 19th Century. 2009. January 31. 2011 .