More handpicked essays just for you.
Comparing Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman
Comparing Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman
Comparing Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Comparing Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman
In Emily Dickinson’s poem “Much Madness is Divinest Sense 435” it is mostly known for “Madness” because it is actually the most close thing to sanity which is view by someone who is discriminating someone else. Which sanity is a mental health were you behave not so good. In Walt Whitman’s poem “When I Heard The Learn’d Astronomer” is where he sees proofs and different kinds of things before the actual astronaut does. These two famous poets are two different persons.
To begin with, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are the most famous poets from the time period when they first started to write poems. Their poems have a big difference with the backgrounds because of the way they tell the story or how they want the readers to feel about it. Walt
While these works by Whitman and Dickinson are different in many ways, a few similarities can be found between the two. The most obvious of these similarities involves the themes and subject matter of the pieces. Both poems present the idea that life is a continuous and constant circle and that no one is ever really dead as long as he is remembered. Each also suggests that Earth is a living thing which all humans are a piece of in both life and death. Another likeness which can be found in these two poems is the imagery used by the authors. Through Whitman's detailed and vivid description, he allows the reader to form a clear picture of the scene in his head. Likewise, Dickinson use of personification causes the poem to come alive in the reader's mind. Indeed, by observing the themes and imagery found in these two poems, one can see that they do contain some similarities.
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is the story of a woman spiralling into madness whilst her physician husband refuses to acknowledge that she has a "real" problem. On the other hand The Black Cat by Edgar Alan Poe is about a man who is initially fond of cats however as the plot progresses he becomes an alcoholic making him moody and violent, which lead him to torture and kills the animals and eventually also his wife. In Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Black Cat," symbolism is used to show the narrator’s capacity for violence, madness, and guilt .The recurring theme present in both these stories is that the main protagonists claim that they suffer or have been taken over by a form of madness. In this essay I shall examine the various symbolism used by the writer's to represent madness.
In both Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman’s works, they emphasize some differences in their writing. In Dickinson’s works she shows that her works are short and simple poems, while Whitman’s poems and often long and complex. With Dickinson showing that her works are short and simple, while Whitman brings on a more sophisticated style, it truly shows that they use their own unique style of writing. In both Whitman and Dickinson works they have been known for being such unique artist and being original, while people try so hardly to impersonate their style, but they are unable to come close to accomplishing it.
American Poetry comes in many different shapes and forms. There are a plethora of American authors that use various writing techniques to transform their ideas into works of art. Walter “Walt” Whitman is one of the most famous authors that used a variety of styles in many of his poems. Many of his works of art affected the population and has influenced the country. He has created multiple poems that have become popular over the years and will be remembered for years to come. Walt Whitman comes from a self-deprecating family that has a tremendous adoration for their home country, America. His father took him out of school when he was young to help with the household funds. As he grew older, Whitman was in and out of different occupations
Insanity can be a dark descent into the strange, nightmarish unknown realms of the mind unable to return to the known world of reason. This is a major theme in literature, and is particularly evident in the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. The nightmarish undertones are one of the main similarities in Hawthorne's and Melville's works. Another similarity is writing style. Both men write very descriptively, and their writing is based more in intellect than emotion. Also both men write about the nightmarish descent into madness.
Frequently in life, one needs to roll up his or her sleeves and tinker with things in order to learn how to use them. Sometimes this leads to headaches, but eventually it leads to incorporating with one's self’s information and true learning. It is this type of experiential education that Walt Whitman seems to be urging in “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer.” In this poem, Whitman uses diction, parallel structure (more specifically anaphora), and a shifting voice to illustrate the importance of experiential learning and the power of instinct, proving that the truly developed mind is the one that seeks its own answers.
Walt Whitman, notorious as the “American Bard”, revolutionized American poetry and improvised the form recognized as free verse. Whitman wrote the poem, “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking,” which was originally published as, ““A Child’s Reminiscence”
Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost both think that individuality is very important to a person, equally like Ralph Emerson. Although they may have a lot in common, these poets are different in many ways. Both Frost and Dickinson were American poets and were both from New England. A big similarity between Frost and Dickinson. Both talk about death.
Not many people would mind having the title of a poet, except maybe one of the most influential artists of all time. (Kennedy and Gioia, 599) Bob Dylan was a remarkable protest singer and songwriter during the Vietnam Era with many well-remembered songs about war and many other significant topics concerning the era. He has influenced many modern day songwriters and many other famous bands such as the Beatles. (Marinucci, Steve)
Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are both considered as the most original poets who has boldly revolutionized the subject and style of 20th-century American poetry. Both the poets come from vastly different backgrounds but they share common inspirations but in a distinctive way. They both lived polar opposite personal lives as Walt was friendly, outgoing and influential, while Emily was very simple, shy, isolate and content. A lot of poems written by them were based on nature, death, and immortality and they focused on the importance of individualism in the society like in “I Hear America Singing” by Walt and “Much Madness is most divine Sense” by Emily. Together, they both have huge hands to shape the American poetry, and their influences
In the poem, Much Madness is Divinest Sense written by Emily Dickinson, the author explores the different views on individuality. She starts off the poem by saying, “Much Madness is divinest Sense - To a discerning Eye - Much Sense - The starkest Madness -” With these lines, Dickinson compares the views on sanity. Here, the term “sanity” can be understood in two different ways - One who understands everything will be driven insane, or one who is insane will be driven to understand everything. She links a one’s understanding and acceptance of the knowledge to one’s state of mind. During this comparison, Dickinson also mentions the presence of others. The “discerning Eye” she references can be interpreted as society, judgement or simply
What makes a poet great? Is it that they make you laugh every time you read their work? Or maybe you can relate your life to the poems they write. In my opinion, to me a great poet is someone who writes a poem which affects many generations of readers, makes you think about what they have written, allows you to be able to visualise the words you’re reading and is able to make you get lost in the words. When I think of a ‘great’ poet, the first person who pops into my mind is Emily Dickinson. Over her life as a poet, Dickinson developed through phases, writing about different things as she passed through each one. She also used unique mechanisms in her writing such as dashes and capital letters. Dickinson was also renowned for her ideas and the concept of belonging, with her work being based on themes such as immortality, alienation and communication as significant events in her life affected the way she wrote and viewed the world.
Being one of the most respected poets in American history, Emily Dickinson has inspired writers for nearly two centuries. Because she had a severe sickness that led her to return home from the female seminary that she was studying at, you can see in her writing the loneliness that she reflects into her poetry. Though this loneliness is apparent, there is also left the possibility for happiness somewhere down the road.
Madness, according to the English Oxford Dictionary, can be defined as “the state of having a serious mental illness”; “a state of wild or chaotic activity”, or having an “extremely foolish behaviour”. Madness in literature may refer to writers who are known for having mental troubles, but might also refer to the fictional characters who are taking place in the writer’s story. It can also be seen as a psychological book; a book talking about the study of madness with a psychological approach. Here this essay will be focusing on the first definition of madness in literature, using the context of the post-war period in the United States. It will first demonstrate that madness is an important theme in literature at this time because it comes from the suffering of the writers; to eventually show that madness is a weapon for the author to denounce the society, and that madness cannot only be seen as a mental problem, because one can consider that madness and genius are intertwined. These two parts of argumentation will be demonstrated through the analysis of Allan Ginsberg’s and Robert Lowell’s writings.
Poetry is often regarded as a highly respected art of writing. Emily Dickinson was regarded as one of the greatest poets of the 19th century for her observations of religion, nature, medicine, and music. William Shakespeare's plays can be regarded as a style of poetry and is credited for several words in the English dictionary. However, the style of Walt Whitman is considered as one of the greatest poets that ever lived. However, his writing styles were not regarded without consequence. The writing styles of Walt Whitman, in his day, were considered a highly controversial topic. However, because of his topics, Walt Whitman is indeed the ultimate poet.