"Chanting the Square Deific"

Walt Whitman's "Chanting the Square Deific" interprets a different spin on the classic Christian Holy Trinity. Instead of a trinity, Whitman writes of a "quaternity" of figures (Oliver). The first side of the square is God, but not just the Christian God. Whitman's first side of the "Square Deific" is the God of Hebrews, "Jehovah"; God of Hindu religion, "Brahm"; God of Romans, "Saturn", and God of Greeks, "Kronos" (Whitman). The main thing that the gods have in common is that they represent the leader or chief of their respective religious deities, just like God of Christianity's Holy Trinity is the top of the triangle. As opposed the the Christian God, the first side of the "Square Deific" is not merciless as He "forgives no man" and "lets none expect mercy" (Whitman). That is a major difference separating the Holy Trinity and the Square Deific. The first stanza exhibits the power of the first deity. The God decides "judgments without the least remorse" and has all of His subjects and followers' lives in His hands (Whitman). The extent of His power is shown when the seasons and Earth's gravitation pull are mentioned, as the Square Deity is as constant, reliable, and relentless as the aforementioned acts of nature (Whitman).

The second stanza describes the next side of the Square, the son of the first side. The knowledge that the second side deity is the offspring of the first comes from the mythological references of the "Lord Jesus", "Hercules", and "Hermes" (Whitman). Jesus was the next part of the Christian Holy Trinity, which seems to be a model for the Square Deific. Hercules was the son of Zeus, another chief deity and rose to power and eventually became a god himself. Hermes was another son of Zeus, ruler of Greek Gods. The Square Deific second side diety represents the people better than the first deity as he "absorbs the suffering", "crucified", "taunted", "cheer bringer", and His "charity has no death" (Whitman). That signifies that His influence and support will always be present in whatever way is desired and can bring comfort to the people that He is there (Oliver).

The third stanza, the third side of the Square, is the opposite of the deity representing the first side. In Christianity the Devil is the opposite of God, as well as evil is the opposite of goodness. But the "Square Deific" version of Satan is not as evil as the Christian version. The Square Deity is the "brother to the slaves" and is not necessarily evil (Whitman). The deity is stubborn and will live up to his "permanent" vows and decisions (Whitman). That makes Him a respectable God as one can always trust him to keep his word, but with the knowledge that He is not looking out for their benefit as well as the second side of the Square Deific will be.

The final side of the Square is the equivalent of the last part of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit in Christianity represents the invisible acts from God that help His followers better understand their religion and Him. The "Santa Spirita" is the "breather of life" which is very similar to the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit is the most "solid" part of the square, therefore the most important part (Whitman). The Spirit triumphs over Heaven and Hell ( "lighter than light", "flames of hell", "Paradise" ) and "including God, the Saviour, and the Satan" in Its rank (Whitman). The last line of the poem makes the reader assume that the narrator, Walt Whitman, either is the "Santa Spirita" or has the "Santa Spirita" within him, which is another trait of the Christian Holy Spirt (Oliver). Whitman's "Square Deific" is a well rounded Holy Trinity, with all sides of humanity represented in good and evil as well as self and savior. Whitman expanded on the classic Trinity, but improved it to represent what he envisioned as the deities of man.



Oliver, Charles M. "'Chanting the Square Deific'." 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. 02 Apr. 2012.

Whitman, Walt. "Chanting the Square Deific." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 02 Apr. 2012.