Poem Pg. This, Poem Pg. That

The two versions, that is, "1855" and "1860," versions of Song of Myself, differ in several respects, yet retain the same symbolic and thematic core. One difference is where the lines diverge onto the next page... IE rather than analyzing poetic structure as a means of mere line breaks, where the poem separates from itself and extends onto the next page. I suppose this could be both useful and troubling- for some poets probably place adament concern regarding which parts of which poems are on which pages (IE I want this sonnet on page 88!), while others may not. By analyzing a poem in terms of the pages, one may gain insight into the poem, however, one may also be looking at a mirror with a magnifying glass. Regardless of Whitman's planning, or lack there of, this is one key difference that will indefinitely affect the readers poetry.