Because of its title and first-person point of view, “Song of Myself” is often perceived as autobiographical. When reading a poem, should readers assume that the author is the speaker?
Answer
A
Yes; everything that is written by a person should be considered autobiographical.
B
No; poems are products of imagination and express beliefs that may not be the writer’s.
C
No; poems are not like other forms of writing because they do not have speakers.
D
Yes; poems that reference the “self” in the title must be autobiographical.
Explanation
Readers should not automatically assume that a poem’s speaker is the author. A poet may create an imagined speaker or express ideas that differ from their own beliefs, so first-person language does not by itself make a poem autobiographical. Choice B captures this distinction; poems do have speakers, so C is incorrect.
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