Walt Whitman's diverse and self-conscious writing style contains many poetic devices which distinguish him among the great American writers. One such device common to Whitman's poetry is the use of cataloguing. Through cataloguing, Whitman is able to enter into the text multiple ideas and situations, alluding to topics which are central to his work. Though these seemingly unrelated events all contain diverse themes, evoking various thoughts, it is through cataloguing that they successfully reveal the …showed first 75 words of 958 total…

…showed last 75 words of 958 total…to enter into his world. Whitman's use of cataloguing allows for interesting and effective organization of his thoughts which stimulates thought on the part of the reader, therefore providing a clearer understanding his own identity. The use of cataloguing makes this work seem almost accidental, as if Whitman is simply observing the people, places and events which surround his everyday life. Nevertheless, upon closer examination, we discover that his words are in fact carefully calculated.