"calim your own at any hazard!"

Question

Can someone explain me the meaning of this phrase?"whoever you are! claim your own at any hazard!" (Walt Whitman)Does it mean 'stand for what you believe in', or 'be yourself', or neither?Thanks, Yael

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

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I'd say a combination of both. Whitman's message was intellectual honesty.
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Yael · Answer

So is this combination the usual meaning of the idiom? Or is it just the interpretation for this particular sentence?
(When I google "claim your own" or "claim one's own", I almost always get "claim your own something" or "claim one's own something")

[And thanks, of course

]

Mister Micawber · Answer

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Yes, I think the same meaning, but an idiom-- perhaps one that is no longer in use or that was composed under poetic license. Here are some other idioms with 'own' as a noun:

7.	come into one's own, a.to take possession of that which is due or owed one. b.to receive the recognition that one's abilities merit: She finally came into her own as a sculptor of the first magnitude.

8.	get one's own back, to get revenge and thereby a sense of personal satisfaction, as for a slight or a previous setback; get even with somebody or something: He saw the award as a way of getting his own back for all the snubs by his colleagues.

9.	hold one's own, a.to maintain one's position or condition: The stock market seems to be holding its own these days. b.to be equal to the opposition: He can hold his own in any fight.

10.	of one's own, belonging to oneself: She had never had a room of her own.

11.	on one's own, a.by dint of one's own efforts, resources, or sense of responsibility; independently: Because she spoke the language, she got around the country very well on her own. b.living or functioning without dependence on others; independent: My son's been on his own for several years.

Yael · Answer

Thank you very much!
I liked the examples, especially the one with the stock market

Yael

"calim your own at any hazard!"

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