"Ages and Ages Returning at Intervals" is a poem written by Whitman that explores more into the author's realm of sexuality and his own personal viewpoints. The poem is a raunchy, lust-filled song that exhibits the odd sexual tendencies that Whitman held and his controversial viewpoints at the time. The poem delivers an odd meaning with many references to sex and Whitman's own often vague sexuality. Despite his religious nature Whitman often delved into the topic of sexuality with little holding him back, as he saw himself as a revolutionary who was in touch with the everyman. He thought that his messages would get across to the common populace and despite the ulterior meanings of his poems he believed that the common man would delve deep into his poems to reveal the meanings just beneath the surface of his poems.
"Ages and ages returning at intervals, Undestroy'd, wandering immortal, Lusty, phallic, with the potent original loins, perfectly sweet, I, chanter of Adamic songs, Through the new garden in the West, the great cities calling, Deliriate, thus prelude what is generated, offering these, offering myself, Bathing myself, bathing my songs in Sex, Offspring of my loins (Whitman.)" As Oliver writes in his thematic analysis of Whitman's poem, "The Adam of the Garden of Eden is, for the poet, "immortal": "Ages and ages returning at intervals, / Undestroy'd, wandering immortal." And sexual: "Lusty, phallic, with the potent original loins, perfectly sweet." And Adam has been reborn in America." Now in my opinion what Whitman is writing is just pure smut and is a glorification of a taboo in our society. It's just rude and awkward to publicly discuss sex and our opinions on sexuality but hey I guess since the critics interpret this stuff as such and say so it must be true. But, I digress, the poem uses original sin and the concept of Adam and Eve as the basis for this work and indeed most poems in the "Children of Adam" section of "Leaves of Grass."
Our first glance of "symbolism" in this work is the line where Whitman mentions "chanter of Adamic songs." This excerpt from the poem uses the Christian tale of the creation of Adam and Eve to demonstrate Whitman as a religious man who viewed the repression of sex by the church as the sin as opposed to the public focus on sex which was not allowed with the Church. Whitman is writing of the spirituality and the true beauty of sex while the church represses these kinds of thoughts and behaviors in it's people claiming that sex for reproduction is the only good kind of sexual relations. There is no relation to Jesus or the everyman in this poem instead the poem takes a rather unorthodox approach to sex and in my opinion completely crosses the line with his focus on the sexual nature of his behaviors and thought process, while people like this critic viewed it as a religious statement. I don't buy that one bit but hey whatever, he's the critic here not me.
Oliver, Charles M. "'Ages and Ages Returning at Intervals'."Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW010&SingleRecord=True (accessed March 3, 2011).
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