As regards the institution of slavery Whitman in his poetry?

Walt Whitman's poetry on the institution of slavery reflects a complex and evolving perspective. During his early career, he expressed sentiments that mirrored the common attitudes towards slavery prevalent during the mid-19th century. For instance, in his poem "The Song of the Broad-Axe," published in 1850, Whitman includes a passage that endorses the idea of conquering foreign lands and subjecting their inhabitants to servitude:

"Lo! the great cities! lo! the teeming factories and the countless farms!

Lo! the slaves, bound and driven through the wide expanse!

Lo! the poor, toil-worn, hunger-bitten, hopeless mass!"

However, Whitman's views began to shift as the abolitionist movement gained momentum and public sentiment against slavery intensified. In his later poems, he took a more explicit stand against slavery and expressed empathy for the suffering of enslaved individuals. In the poem "I Sing the Body Electric," written in 1855, he emphasizes the shared humanity of all people, regardless of race or status, and denounces the dehumanizing effects of slavery:

"I am the hounded slave, I wince at the bite of the dogs,

Hell and despair are upon me, crack and again crack the marksmen,

I clutch the rails of the fence, my gore dribs, thinn'd with the ooze of my skin,

I fall on the weeds and stones,

The riders spur their unwilling horses, haul close,

Taunt my dizzy ears, and beat me violently over the head with their whip-stocks."

Whitman's poetry during the Civil War and beyond became increasingly aligned with the anti-slavery cause, and he played an instrumental role in shaping public discourse on the issue through his writings.

In summary, while Whitman's early works contain evidence of conventional views on slavery, his later poems demonstrate his growth in understanding and a commitment to the cause of abolition, leading him to express sympathy for the plight of enslaved individuals and ultimately rejecting the institution of slavery.