Question

read poem 16 from song of myself by walt whitman.
16
i am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise,
regardless of others, ever regardful of others,
maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man,
stuff’d with the stuff that is coarse and stuff’d with the stuff that is fine,
one of the nation of many nations, the smallest the same
and the largest the same,
a southerner soon as a northerner, a planter nonchalant
and hospitable down by the oconee i live,
part a
what theme does whitman develop in poem 16 of song of myself?
true selflessness requires placing the needs of others before one’s own needs.
every human has the potential to achieve true greatness.
nothing positive can come from greed.
all people are made up of different – sometimes contradictory – qualities

Explanation:

To determine the theme, analyze the poem's lines: "I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise", "Maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man", "Stuff’d with the stuff that is coarse and stuff’d with the stuff that is fine", and references to being from different regions/nations. These show a person has diverse, even conflicting, qualities. The first option is about selflessness (not supported), the second about greatness (no focus), the third about greed (absent). The fourth option matches the depiction of mixed qualities.

Answer:

All people are made up of different – sometimes contradictory – qualities