List four instances in which Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" is similar to Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself." Be sure to explain/analyze the quotes you choose to use in detail. http://www.metrolyrics.com/born-this-way-lyrics-lady-gaga.html http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/27

The two texts are similar in the use of pronouns, the celebration of the individual, the celebration of diversity, and the theme of spirituality.
Whitman asks the big questions of life: Who am I? Why am I here? What is my place in the world? His poem "Song of Myself" answers those questions with a celebration of the human spirit, both his personal spirit and the spirit of all humanity. This appreciation for human nature, both the individual and collective humankind, is a key function of the Romantic authors. Lady Gaga echoes those authors, and Whitman specifically, in "Born This Way." She celebrates her own individuality while promoting individuality in her audience, connecting everyone in her message.
The first direct similarity is the use of pronouns by both authors. Whitman begins with "I celebrate myself and sing myself." He describes his surroundings, placing himself in the world and letting us know how well he notices all the components of the world around him. In other words—it's all about him. Until it isn't, because on line 20, he addresses his reader: "Have you reckon'd a thousand acres much? have you reckon'd the earth much?" He will continue to use both pronouns, I and you. The "you" refers to himself (his soul), his reader, and the collective you of mankind, all at different times.
Lady Gaga also uses both pronouns. The line "Baby I was born this way" clearly refers to herself. However, she also includes the lines "Don't hide yourself in regret/Just love yourself and you're set." She could be talking to herself, she could be giving a message to her audience, or she could be issuing a message for all mankind—just like Whitman. In both cases, the pronouns show that the text is not just a personal story, but is a larger message for a larger audience.
The title and chorus of Lady Gaga's song bear another similarity to Whitman's poem. Like the Romantic poet, she is celebrating herself and literally singing herself. She is "beautiful" and "on the right track" and insists "There is nothing wrong with loving who you are." These are powerful, self-confident words that echo the following quote from Whitman: "I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable/I sound my barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the world.” Both authors are self-confidently asserting themselves through their works.
Whitman and Lady Gaga also celebrate humanity and the diversity in the world. Whitman describes people of the world from all walks of life:

The hurrahs for popular favorites, the fury of rous'd mobs, The flap of the curtain'd litter, a sick man inside borne to the hospital, The meeting of enemies, the sudden oath, the blows and fall, The excited crowd, the policeman with his star quickly working his passage to the centre of the crowd

Lady Gaga focuses not just on social classes but also on racial and ethnic diversity:

Whether you're broke or evergreenYou're black, white, beige, chola descentYou're Lebanese, you're OrientWhether life's disabilitiesLeft you outcast, bullied, or teasedRejoice and love yourself today

The celebration of self in the texts is also meant for everyone, not just the authors.
Finally, both authors show a sense of spirituality in their works. Lady Gaga validates herself by saying "I'm beautiful in my way/'cuz God makes no mistakes." She also hints at God in her intro with "capital H-I-M." She is recognizing a power outside of human power. Even the title "Born This Way" suggests there is a power beyond what we can see that shapes us. Whitman calls upon the same power. "I see something of God each hour of the twenty-four, and each moment then,/In the faces of men and women I see God, and in my own face in the glass." Like Lady Gaga, Whitman acknowledges the presence and power of God and shows that God is in all humanity. This brings us back to the "I" and "You" of each text; the authors work to show that we are all individuals, and yet we are all connected.