Because of its title and first-person point of view, “Song of Myself” is often perceived as autobiographical. When reading a poe
m, should readers assume that the author is the speaker? Yes; everything that is written by a person should be considered autobiographical. No; poems are products of imagination and express beliefs that may not be the writer’s. No; poems are not like other forms of writing because they do not have speakers. Yes; poems that reference the “self” in the title must be autobiographical.
