Read these lines from Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself.” Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself; (I am large, I contain multitudes.)What does Whitman mean when he says, “I contain multitudes”?

Whitman’s statement that he “contain[s] multitudes” explains why he can contradict himself: a person can hold many different qualities, thoughts, and feelings at once. This best matches the idea that a human being has different aspects. He is not saying that he has multiple personalities or that he can simply write many poems.

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