An unnamed, first-person, singular speaker narrates “Miracles,” who, in this case, may be conflated with the poem’s author, Whitman, due to its lyrical nature and interest in conveying the subjective experience of Whitman’s “I.” Early on in the poem, Whitman hints at his own rebellious nature, with his confrontational but not overly aggressive opening rhetorical question: “Why, who makes much of a miracle? / As to me I know nothing else but miracles” (1-2). As such, Whitman makes clear his desire to challenge traditional images of miraculousness established by organized religion and the status quo.

However, Whitman’s rebelliousness does not make him antisocial. His tone throughout the poem is warm and inviting, and many of his images are interpersonal in nature. For example, he ranks “[talking] by day with any any one I love, or [sleeping] in the bed at night with any one...