September 17th, 2009:

In “Leaves of Grass” on page 74 Whitman begins a catalogue of different gods, one of which I mentioned in my imagegloss (Odin).  He says, “With Odin, and the hideous-faced Mexitli, and all idols and images…”.  When I began my research on the image gloss I started with Mexitli, only to find that there are no images, and little to no information about this “God” named Mexitli.  On Wikipedia the entry for Mexitli is as follows: “Mexitli was a legendary great leader and war god of the Aztecs (before they became known as the Mexica, possibly in his honour) during the wandering years. The name derives from the Nahuatl metztli (the moon) and xictli (navel) and thus means “navel (probably implying ‘child’) of the moon”.  I googled Mexitli and found no leads; I checked the OED online, and I even searched in Academic Search Premier for “Whitman and Mexitli” and still came up with nothing. 

    As I read the poem further I came across another image that I was interested to research.  On page 77 Whitman says, “Walking the teokallis, spotted with gore from the stone and knife-beating the serpent-skin drum…”.  A globe trotter myself, I wondered what the teokallis could be.  So, I got back online and looked up “teokallis”.  Again, I came to many dead ends here.  After some research I found the term “teocallis” mentioned in some places.  I wondered if this was what Whitman was referring to, and why it is spelled different.  Did he spell it wrong, is it spelled differently in different cultures, is Whitman going with a native or primitive spelling of the location?  Wikipedia’s entry on “Teocalli” is as follows:  A teocalli (Nahuatl: “God-house”) is a Mesoamerican pyramid surmounted by a temple. The pyramid is terraced, and some of the most important religious rituals in Pre-Columbian Mexico took place in the temple at the top of the pyramid.
The famous, although no longer extant, Aztec Huey Teocalli (”Great Temple,” Spanish, Templo Mayor) was located next to what is now Mexico City’s main square, the Zocalo. A famous 1848 painting by Emanuel Leutze depicts “The Storming of the Teocalli by Cortez and His Troops,” which Leutze painted four years before his classic “Washington Crossing the Delaware.”

          Again we are brought to an Aztec term, or something that leads us to the Aztec culture.  I looked for articles relating Whitman to the Aztecs, Mexitli, Mesoamerica, etc and found nothing.  I now find myself quite interested in knowing what Whitman’s interest or expertise is in regards to the Aztecs, or Mesoamerica.  Has he ever traveled to Central or South America?  Did he have a personal interest in the history or the culture of Mesoamerica?  Why does he mention the culture twice within this poem?  What does he know and why don’t we know it now??  Can anyone help me with my quest?

In “Leaves of Grass” on page 74 Whitman begins a catalogue of different gods, one of which I mentioned in my imagegloss (Odin).  He says, “With Odin, and the hideous-faced Mexitli, and all idols and images…”.  When I began my research on the image gloss I started with Mexitli, only to find that there are no images, and little to no information about this “God” named Mexitli.  On Wikipedia the entry for Mexitli is as follows: “Mexitli was a legendary great leader and war god of the Aztecs (before they became known as the Mexica, possibly in his honour) during the wandering years. The name derives from the Nahuatl metztli (the moon) and xictli (navel) and thus means “navel (probably implying ‘child’) of the moon”.  I googled Mexitli and found no leads; I checked the OED online, and I even searched in Academic Search Premier for “Whitman and Mexitli” and still came up with nothing. 

    As I read the poem further I came across another image that I was interested to research.  On page 77 Whitman says, “Walking the teokallis, spotted with gore from the stone and knife-beating the serpent-skin drum…”.  A globe trotter myself, I wondered what the teokallis could be.  So, I got back online and looked up “teokallis”.  Again, I came to many dead ends here.  After some research I found the term “teocallis” mentioned in some places.  I wondered if this was what Whitman was referring to, and why it is spelled different.  Did he spell it wrong, is it spelled differently in different cultures, is Whitman going with a native or primitive spelling of the location?  Wikipedia’s entry on “Teocalli” is as follows:  A teocalli (Nahuatl: “God-house”) is a Mesoamerican pyramid surmounted by a temple. The pyramid is terraced, and some of the most important religious rituals in Pre-Columbian Mexico took place in the temple at the top of the pyramid.
The famous, although no longer extant, Aztec Huey Teocalli (“Great Temple,” Spanish, Templo Mayor) was located next to what is now Mexico City’s main square, the Zocalo. A famous 1848 painting by Emanuel Leutze depicts “The Storming of the Teocalli by Cortez and His Troops,” which Leutze painted four years before his classic “Washington Crossing the Delaware.”

          Again we are brought to an Aztec term, or something that leads us to the Aztec culture.  I looked for articles relating Whitman to the Aztecs, Mexitli, Mesoamerica, etc and found nothing.  I now find myself quite interested in knowing what Whitman’s interest or expertise is in regards to the Aztecs, or Mesoamerica.  Has he ever traveled to Central or South America?  Did he have a personal interest in the history or the culture of Mesoamerica?  Why does he mention the culture twice within this poem?  What does he know and why don’t we know it now??  Can anyone help me with my quest?

while i continue to read Leaves of Grass it it only apparent of how amazing Whitman is!  The part the sticks out to me is are the stances about music. 

With music strong I come—with my cornets and my drums,

I play not marches for accepted victors only—I play great marches for conquer’d and slain persons

Sounds of the city, and sounds out of the city—sounds of the day and night;

Talkative young ones to those that like them—the loud laugh of work-people at their meals;

The angry base of disjointed friendship—the faint tones of the sick;

The judge with hands tight to the desk, his pallid lips pronouncing a death-sentence;

The heave’e’yo of stevedores unlading ships by the wharves—the refrain of the anchor-lifters;

The ring of alarm-bells—the cry of fire—the whirr of swift-streaking engines and hose-carts, with premonitory tinkles, and color’d lights;

The steam-whistle—the solid roll of the train of approaching cars;

The slow-march play’d at the head of the association, marching two and two,

(They go to guard some corpse—the flag-tops are draped with black muslin.) 

With music strong I come—with my cornets and my drums,

I play not marches for accepted victors only—I play great marches for conquer’d and slain persons

you get a sense that Whitman has a love of the opera. (Whitman)

Not only is he an amazing writer but he knows great music.

The other part of the story that sticks out to me is when he is describing the city;

Sounds of the city, and sounds out of the city—sounds of the day and night;

Talkative young ones to those that like them—the loud laugh of work-people at their meals;

The angry base of disjointed friendship—the faint tones of the sick;

The judge with hands tight to the desk, his pallid lips pronouncing a death-sentence;

The heave’e’yo of stevedores unlading ships by the wharves—the refrain of the anchor-lifters;

The ring of alarm-bells—the cry of fire—the whirr of swift-streaking engines and hose-carts, with premonitory tinkles, and color’d lights;

The steam-whistle—the solid roll of the train of approaching cars;

The slow-march play’d at the head of the association, marching two and two,

(They go to guard some corpse—the flag-tops are draped with black muslin.) (Whitman)

It was funny to me to hear someone talk so beautifully about Camden. But then i realize that it isn’t the Camden we live in today. It seems as if the city hasn’t changed so far. He uses descriptive words that makes it seem as if I’m looking out the window and viewing the same City he had. Whitman appears to know much about the opera scene. He knows the difference between a tenor, to a soprano make me feel like i have a similarity with him. Just to hear them live is out of this world. Opera is both visually and mentally stimulating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3yfFOq_CFQ

I hear the chorus—it is a grand opera;  Ah, this indeed is music! This suits me.

A tenor large and fresh as the creation fills me;  The orbic flex of his mouth is pouring and filling me full.

I hear the train’d soprano—(what work, with hers, is this?) 600 The orchestra whirls me wider than Uranus flies;  It wrenches such ardors from me, I did not know I possess’d them;  It sails me—I dab with bare feet—they are lick’d by the indolent waves;  I am exposed, cut by bitter and angry hail—I lose my breath,  Steep’d amid honey’d morphine, my windpipe throttled in fakes of death; 605 At length let up again to feel the puzzle of puzzles,  And that we call BEING.

The reason why i chose this about singing and the opera is because i love it myself. i was born into the world of music. I myself am a soprano singing so the sound makes me feel good. its hard to describe.  so I hope this piece from Vitas does the same.