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Walt Whitman poems and their meanings
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In the poem "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman he unifies the country during a chaos and the United States was extremely divided. He unifies the people by portraying the persona of multitudes and claims that he is omnipresent when he says “Maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man” (16, Line 13) because he is identifying himself as everyone. This is an American ideal that resonates with many because Unification is an ideal present in the pledge and the term United is even recognizable in the name of this country. Walt precedes the poem and presents a theme of equality for all, which is an important aspect of what it means to be an American. This ideal can be found in the American constitution when it states “all men are equal” and
Whitman, Walt. "Song of Myself." The Norton Anthology of American Literature.. Gen. ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2012. 24-67. Print.
Whitman’s poem was written in the mid-1800s during the industrial revolution, but Hughes’ poem was written in the 1900s during the Civil Rights Movement. This is important because the Civil Rights Movement established the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Industrial Revolution moved at a slow place but there were still issues with slavery. Whitman’s poem was free verse while Hughes’ poem was traditional rhyme/rhythm. The tone of Whitman’s poem was patriotic and celebratory (I HEAR America singing, the varied carols I hear); because he was paying tribute to the success of the individuals; however, the tone of Hughes’ poem was sarcastic and frustrated (to build a “homeland of the free,’’ because he didn’t feel like some individuals were allowed to experience the American Dream. Whitman’s theme of his poem was that individuals and liberties make America great. On the other hand, Hughes’ theme of his poem expressed that individuals felt excluded from the “homeland of the free.” The purpose of Whitman’s poem is praise for universal brotherhood. However, Hughes’ poem’s purpose was to inform individuals about inequality, meaning that not everyone has the same liberties in America. Whitman’s poem focused on the jobs of the workers, while Hughes’ poem focused on race, social status, and a list to represent the “I am’’ phrase; (I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars). He also
In, “ I Hear America Singing”, Walt Whitman uses alliteration, literal imagery, and tone to express the idea that there are many individual, hardworking workers in this country, but as a whole these people carry out the American pride. America does not only consist of one person, but it is the whole population that makes what America is today. This country is filled with fun and laughter for everyone to enjoy!
Poetry is a universe of subjectivity. When two poems are set up, side-by-side, to create discussion, results may vary. But it is clear in Sherman Alexie’s two poems, “Defending Walt Whitman” and “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel”, where the discussion must go. Alexie explores Native American culture and the effect that the Europeans have had on the native people of the United States. This feat is accomplished through the thoughtful use of several literary devices, including tone, simile, allusion, and metaphor.
Throughout the span of this semester, much of the literature discussed revolved around the so-called renaissance of American literature and its impact upon both the nation and its people. Of all the authors studied in this time period, Walt Whitman may well be known as the quintessential American author. Famous for breaking every rule known to poetry in the inimitable compilation, Song of Myself, Whitman provided a fresh and insightful commentary upon the dualistic nature of society, love, and life itself. Through defining these essential aspects of humanity, Whitman indeed composed one of the most accurate and enduring definitions of the individual self that literature, American or otherwise, has ever seen. Specifically, this was done through
Whitman’s approach to poetry is a reflection of his thought. These thoughts are free and wild, and his typical run-on sentences and his endless litanies of people and places represent the thoughts trying to be conveyed. The overall effect of these run-on sentences provides the reader with a feeling of greatness and of freedom. All of the feelings that are evoked from Whitman’s style can be classified as quintessentially American democratic feelings. The belief that Whitman had no style would imply that Americans as a society have no style, a statement that not only Whitman but Emerson and Thoreau as well fought against through their writings. Whitman and Emerson fighting for the same cause is not coincidental, Whitman has often been viewed as the “child” of Emerson, his work being greatly influenced by Emerson. Whitman’s technique of looking at everything as a whole and always opposed to breaking up the whole can be linked to his belief of unity within our country and the reason why he took the Civil War extremely hard and personal.
Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is a vision of the American spirit, a vision of Whitman himself. It is his cry for democracy, giving each of us a voice through his poetry. Each of us has a voice and desires, and this is Whitman's representation of our voices, the voice of America. America, the great melting pot, was founded for freedom and democracy, and this poem is his way of re-instilling these lost American ideals. In this passage from "Song of Myself" Whitman speaks through his fellow man and speaks for his fellow man when his voice is not socially acceptable to be heard.
Whitman has he theme of individuality while also maintaining a universal identity. At different circumstances all through Song of Myself, he truly appears to demonstrate that every distinct individual has a kind of learning about themselves that shows their rationale and sense yet rather, utilizes their instinct and internal soul. He likewise indicates how every unique individual is their own particular individual, however that every individual is a piece of a greater, widespread personality. Whitman's topic of introspective philosophy interlaced with his principle subject of individual having both individual and widespread personalities is the thing that will be investigated in this nearby perusing examination. Whitman initially demonstrates his topic of uniqueness while having a widespread character in the exceptionally opening segment of Song of Myself.The poem reads “I celebrate myself / And what I assume you shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”(1-3) As you dig deeper and analyze this passage you can see that Whitman is stating that although he is reveling in his self, he also has an association with all
In stanza six of the poem "Song of Myself", by Walt Whitman, he poses the question "What is the grass?" I believe that grass is a metaphor for the cycle of life. Throughout the poem Whitman points out images that grass could represent. All of these images stem from the life and death that we come to expect in our lifetime. During your life you will experience death, it at times surrounds you, but if you look past the grief and look to the beauty you will see that it is a cycle that keeps our world in balance. The images of flags, tears, children and older people that are torn from the ones they love, but only to soon return to other lost ones are all parts of Walt Whitman's poem.
Female Supremacy: Beholding Women in Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass With regards to the wide variety of subjects Walt Whitman depicted in his poems, ranging from political and social injustice, nationalism, mysticism or lauding the beauties of nature to human sexuality and admiration of womanhood, it is no surprise that Whitman, often called the poet of democracy, earned the attention of a vast number of eminent essayists, poets and literary critics. Although he has been celebrated as “the first white aboriginal,” Whitman himself claimed that Leaves of Grass, his only, several times revised poetry collection which he was writing his entire life, was “essentially a woman’s book.” Considering the fact that a woman in the 19th century United States of America was almost lacking the chance of receiving any kind of higher social status except that of a mother or a wife thus connected to a male person, Whitman’s attitude can be regarded as rather innovative. This along with a controversially unusual form of “violating poetic norms” which shaped his distinctive organic style, may be seen as signifying the desire for liberation from the conventional categories, hence the freed view on the reality of the world, the naturalness.
During a lecture in 1907, William James said "the philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly means. It is only partly got from books; it is our individual way of just seeing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos" (Bartlett 546) Individuality has been a prevalent theme in every type of literature for quite some time. Whether it is a character discovering his/her individuality or the author expressing his, literature is full of distinctness. The term individuality changes meaning with each person it meets. That is what makes the dynamic word so great. Throughout particular works read this semester, individuality has been the foundation for several of them. Walt Whitman takes his newfound ideas and Quaker background and introduces American Literature to a totally different meaning of individuality in "Song of Myself."
As aforementioned, this paradoxical concept of individuality coexisting with unity and equality is evident in “Song of Myself” (Chase 132). Whitman believed the theme of unity is a common link embracing all humanity. Whitman also felt that “one of the founding beliefs of American democracy is the fundamental equality of all people” (Casale 49). In “Song of Myself,” the people are portrayed as a collection of distinct individuals with their own soul and qualities.
While the poem can be termed to be democratic, both in subject matter and its language, Whitman is viewed to be cataloging the ‘new’ America that he is seeing around him. The poem includes subject matter such as relationships, patriotism, heroes, family and ancestors, and a view on social commentaries too.
Society shapes human beings into what they think is perfection. People in today’s society follow the world’s rituals as they continue to conform to fit in to the latest trends. Today, implants, plastic surgery, and weight loss treatments are the reason people have money set aside in their savings accounts. The pressure of others claims to be the main reason people change their hair, skin, and size, and often forget about their own special characteristics. There is a reason Walt Whitman, writes “I Celebrate Myself, and Sing Myself,” to show the importance of loving yourself and cherishing your own personal qualities as a human being. He speaks of himself, hoping to grab his readers’ attention. Throughout the poem, “I Celebrate Myself, and Sing
Whitman speaks of the ideas of being unique and also of being part of a large nation. This idea is seen as he writes “I’d sow a seed for thee of endless Nationality” (Whitman, Line 4). Whitman goes on to relay his thoughts about not only being an American, but also speaks of the future and how things about America can be changed. He reinforces this idea in the lines, “As Life and Nature are not great with reference to the Present only, but greater still from what is yet to come” (Whitman, Lines 10-11). Whitman’s words seem to be conveying that every person has a chance to change their life by rebelling and trying to do something great.