Whitman and Men

Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
January 9, 2008
Journal #2 Whitman


Quote:
"As the hugging and loving bed-fellow sleeps at my side through the night,
and withdraws at the peep of the day with stealthy tread,
Leaving me baskets cover'd with white towels swelling the house with their plenty"(Whitman 32).



Summary:
Whitman is describing an encounter that he has with a male.



Response:
You would almost have to say definitively that Whitman was homosexual judging by the above quote. He is describing the night that he spent with a man. They both enjoyed each other and were amorous towards one another. The strange part is how the male companion sneaks away in the morning. Almost as if he were afraid that another person would catch him and Whitman in bed together. You have to give Whitman a lot of credit for having the courage to write about his homosexual relationships in a time when they were much less accepted than in the present. The thing that grabs my attention the most is how the man that sleeps with Whitman sneaks out at daybreak. This almost suggests that Whitman may have had a girlfriend of wife. Yet this is exactly the confusing part there is so much critical evidence for Whitman being homosexual that him having a relationship with a female is very unlikely. I think the man sneaks away because in the 1800's it is taboo for the same sex to be seen together as romantic partners. I do want to point out that this is not a one night stand but rather a intimate and ongoing relationship. The other man leaves baskets covered with white towels, it seems that the man may be doing some cleaning in Whitman's home. This would suggest that they have an ongoing relationship. Again this must have been very tough to do in the 1800's where this type of relationship was looked down upon so negatively