Native Moments: by Walt Whitman - Summary & Analysis

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Native moments - when you come upon me-ah you are here now,

Give me now libidinous joys only,

Give me the drench of my passions, give me life coarse and rank,

To-day I go consort with Nature’s darlings, to-night too,

I am for those who believe in loose delights, I share the midnight orgies of young men,

I dance with the dancers and drink with the drinkers,

The echoes ring with our indecent calls, I pick out some low person for my dearest friend,

He shall be lawless, rude, illiterate, he shall be one condemn’d by others for deeds done,

I will play a part no longer, why should I exile myself from my companions?

O you shunned persons, I at least do not shun you,

I come forthwith in your midst, I will be your poet,

I will be more to you than to any of the rest.

SUMMARY AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS

      Introduction. Native Moments is a short poem of twelve lines full of the abnormal sensualistic aberrations of the poet for which he became notorious and which in fact he himself wanted. He wanted to declare a war as it were on the established ethical codes of the society and the norms of decent behavior of an average cultured gentleman or lady.

      Summary. The title Native Moments is to be interpreted to mean those moments when the poet expects to enjoy lascivious pleasures not within the bounds of the social decorum but an unfettered series of sexual orgies in the company of Nature’s darlings, a euphemism of the poet for the shunned persons, rude, lawless, illiterate persons condemned by the society for their misdeeds. The poet proudly declares with impunity and shamelessness:

I am for those who believe in loose delights,

I share the midnight orgies of young men

I dance with the dancers and drink with the drinkers

The concluding lines add some move zest and, piquancy

I comeforth within your midst, I will be your poet

I will be more to you than to any of the rest.

      Critical Analysis. The poem Native Moments is a vehement expression of Walt Whitman’s defiance of the moral susceptibilities of an average educated gentleman or lady in any cultured society. The poet boldly launches his program of indecent and unnatural joys:

Give me libidinous joys only,

Give me the drench of my passions, give me life

coarse and rank.

Today I go consort with Nature's darlings ...

      The poet wants all the pleasures that flesh is capable of offering; but it shall not be the flesh of one of the opposite sex which any normal individual is usually after. That is the abnormal tendency of the poet.

The echoes ring with our indecent talk, I pick out some low person for my dearest friend,

He shall be lawless, rude, illiterate, he shall be one condemned by others for deeds done.

      The poet wants to mix with those persons whom society abhors and refrains from taking into their fold.

       There can be no doubt that this open defiance of all sensible behavior by the poet will be disapproved of by many. In the words of a critic Native Moments portrays “a natural or spontaneous ‘Adamic’ man (or natural man uncontrolled by moral codes) in the context of a hostile society choosing the path of conformity to the Adamic self in preference to the path of conformity to social conventions”. This kind of preaching of lawlessness in the field of morals and ethics must shock a large section of readers.