Question

question 6 of 20
read these lines from walt whitmans \song of myself\:
i depart as air, i shake my white locks at the runaway sun,
i effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.
i bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass i love,
if you want me again look for me under your boot - soles.
what is one purpose of the personification in this poem?
a. to make a connection between the speaker and the reader
b. to paint a picture in the readers mind of a decaying body
c. to portray a force of nature as something that runs from humans
d. to give humanlike qualities to sand dunes and the sea

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option A: The lines "I bequeath myself to the dirt... look for me under your boot - soles" create a direct link between the speaker (who is merging with nature) and the reader (who is invited to find the speaker in nature, specifically under boot - soles). This uses personification (the speaker personifies their own transition into nature) to connect with the reader.
2. Analyze Option B: The poem's focus is on the speaker's union with nature, not on depicting a decaying body. The imagery of "effuse my flesh in eddies" is more about a spiritual/physical merging with nature rather than decay.
3. Analyze Option C: The "runaway sun" is personified, but the purpose of the personification in the overall poem (including the other lines) is not to show nature running from humans. The main theme is the speaker's connection with nature and the reader.
4. Analyze Option D: The poem does not mention sand dunes or the sea, so this option is irrelevant to the content of the given lines.

Answer:

A. To make a connection between the speaker and the reader