In American poet Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," which is part of his epic work "Leaves of Grass," a single blade of grass represents a person in society. Whitman immediately alludes to the reality that we are made of dust in this portion of "Leaves of Grass." He then asserts that we should not be conformed to this world but rather we should transform this world by being transformed by God. Whitman believed that human beings are capable of great good or evil. So he states in the poem that even though we are merely a "blade of grass" we should act like trees who grow strong under the sun and rain. They do not fear death because they know that life will continue next year just as well as it did this year. Humans are also given the gift of reason which allows us to understand these things so we can take action accordingly. Because we are made of the same stuff as all other living things, we too can grow and flourish or we can perish. It is up to each individual how they choose to use their time on Earth. However, many people only think about themselves first and foremost. They care about themselves alone without considering others. This is why the grass needs to be cut back every year because selfish people destroy trees and plants when they don't give them enough space to live in.