Whitman vs. Libertad

       On two of the pages of the notebook (page 4 & 5 I think), Whitman wrote,

"Why now I shall know whether there is anything in you, Libertad,
I shall see how much you can stand perhaps I shall see the crash - is all then lost?
What then? Have those thrones there stood so long?
Does the Queen of England represent a thousand years? And the Queen of Spain a thousand years? And you"

Step 1:

      When Whitman says "now" in the first line, I think he is referring to the Civil War and how the result of it may reveal what Libertad really means in the context of the Union. The word "now" is significant because it reveals how the Civil War plays an important part in how the Union decides to define Libertad or how it believes it should look like. I also think this reveals that Whitman doesn't really think that Libertad has any value to it; it doesn't truly live up to its definition. It's a false concept that was created to fit the agendas of those in power and the benefit them. He believes that people and systems in power such as the Queens of England and Spain were able to stay in power for a long time because of this false idea of Libertad. I think that he also asks that if this false idea of Libertad were to be destroyed, would everything that was rooted in it be destroyed too.

Step 2:

     Looking at the notes, it says that the poem on page 5 implies that "the demise of the Union is part of a larger historical cycle. He may be suggesting that the ideal of liberty transcends and outlasts even the longest-lived political regimes". This reveals that Whitman believes that history pretty much repeats itself and the Union is no exception to it. But I wonder exactly what historical cycle Whitman was referring to. This also reveals that Whitman believes that Libertad is a universal rule or theme that dates back English and Spanish civilizations and will continue on long after these civilizations fall.