# Chapter 20: The Self's Unshakable Foundation explained — Leaves of Grass

> Chapter companion for Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.

## What happens

The narrator asserts his own solid, deathless, and self-sufficient existence, rejecting conformity, prayer, and ceremony. He finds no sweeter fat than his own bones, sees himself in all people, and knows he is part of the universe's eternal flow, laughing at dissolution.

## Themes in this chapter

### Individuality and Self

The narrator celebrates his own unique existence, asserting that he is solid, deathless, and sufficient unto himself.

### Death and Immortality

The narrator laughs at dissolution and knows the amplitude of time, affirming his own immortality.

## Character check-ins

### Narrator

Declares his own solidity, deathlessness, and self-sufficiency, refusing to snivel or conform.

### Walt Whitman

Implied as the speaker who wears his hat as he pleases and extracts strength from beef.

## Key lines

> I find no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones.

I find no greater nourishment or satisfaction than what comes from my own being.

_Emphasizes self-sufficiency and the value of one's own physical and spiritual substance._

> I know I am deathless, I know this orbit of mine cannot be swept by a carpenter’s compass.

I know I am immortal and my path cannot be measured or confined by human tools.

_Affirms the narrator's belief in his own eternal nature beyond physical limitations._

> I laugh at what you call dissolution, And I know the amplitude of time.

I mock the idea of decay or death, and I understand the vastness of time.

_Rejects fear of death and embraces an expansive view of existence._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters/20
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leaves_of_grass_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters