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Whitman as a representative poet of America
Walt Whitman as an American poet essay
Walt Whitman as an American poet essay
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Whitman’s characterization of the U.S. is still rather accurate when pertaining to the physical makeup of the country’s population; however, his characterization lack validity when speaking of the political state of the nation, no longer is it the “fittest for his days”. In addition, he states that America is basically a melting pot of many different countries, cultures and religions; it is still a “teeming nation of nations.” Within the first paragraph, Whitman addresses America’s need to move on and learning from its pass, but never forgetting it, so that the nation can become stronger. The quote, “The corpse is slow borne from the eating and sleeping rooms of the house,”means that old habits die hard and it is okay for beauty to be viewed
Appreciation of being in America is a notable trait of what it means to be an American, as a true American enjoys being here. She also notes her discovery of religion by being brought here, and while the “melting pot” is America’s trademark, her recognition of Christianity (75% of Americans recognize themselves as Christians) sparks yet another characteristic of her being an example of an American. Christian or not, her being comfortable with her religion, as she expresses in other poems, is a prime example of Americanism as we encourage everyone to freely express
In "I, Too," Langston Hughes is obviously in conversation with the earlier poem, Walt Whitman 's "I Hear America Singing." Both poems explore the idea of American identity -- who and what is an American? What characterizes the people of this nation? The two poets, however, reach somewhat different conclusions in response to these questions.
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.
An example is in Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself”, that “it can recognize one’s readings of Whitman’s body of writing. In thinking about the poem as the central work, one can make discussion about the culture of democracy” (Kateb 21). The poem presents Whitman's seemingly inconsistent and self-contradictory attitude he holds toward slavery that has long been a source of critical debate:
The Heath Anthology of American Literature repeatedly refers to Walt Whitman and his poetry in terms of being American, yet as I read Song of Myself, my thoughts are continually drawn to the philosophies and religions of the Far East. Like the Tao Te Ching ideas are expressed in enigmatic verse and each stanza is a Zen koan waiting to be meditated on and puzzled out. Even Emerson called Whitman's poetry "a remarkable mixture of the Bhagvat Gita and the New York Herald" ("The Whitman Project"). Song of Myself contains multitudes of passages that express Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist thought.
On November 29th 1847, in Waiilatpu Washington a tragedy occurred: The murder of 14 missionaries; including the Whitmans' at the hand of the Cayuse Indians.
The theme of Time to Come presents the mystery of life after death and calls attention to how vulnerable it’s victims are. Whitman begins his poem with the strong metaphor “ O, Death! a black and pierceless pall” (1). This bold statement allows the reader quickly realize that the work will somehow be connected to death, but in an insightful manner. The alliteration of “pierceless pall” emphasizes death’s ruthless approach. Whitman then describes death as a “mystery of fate” that " No eye may see, no mind may grasp” (3-4). This points out that death lingers in the future, essentially waiting to seize lives and nobody can know when th...
America is a place where people share a sense of unity and pride for their country. In Whitman’s “Song of Myself” he shows that he feels “ Comrade of Californians, comrade of free North-Westerners... Comrade of raftsmen and coalman, comrade to all who shake hands and welcome to drink and meat” (35). This shows how americans no matter how far apart they may be feel a sense of friendship just because they are Americans. People in America are willing to come together as one due to their shared trait of all being Americans. Mark Twain shows in “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” that people have a sense of pride in the country 's history when he talks about the dog being named Andrew Jackson (103). People in America respect their country’s
The Civil War ravaged southern America and left property and residents in a state of disarray. A vast majority of the blame and frustrations to come would land on the federal government, particularly on President Abraham Lincoln. However, in the 150 years since this war ended, many people still forget that freeing slaves was never a priority for President Lincoln nor did he think he could legally decree such a thing. His primary goal had been to unify the succeeding states, which he would ultimately achieve, but at the cost of lives, property, social norms. Upon the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the United States was relieved the war was over and eager to find normalcy again. Walt Whitman’s elegy to the President captures the shift from
excludes you do I exclude you." He has accepted the women as a prostitute, but
Walt Whitman is considered the foremost poet of American democracy of his time. Not only did he fully embrace it, but he believed that American democracy was more than a political system, but a way of life (Casale 48). Many of his personal experiences influenced his deep democratic point of view (48). As a volunteer at an army hospital during the American Civil War, he saw many die and became increasingly grateful for the opportunities provided by the American government (Mirsky). Later, as he was residing in New York City, Whitman witnessed America face urbanization. He loved the diversity of the cities and believed it was possible because of democracy (Brand). This adoration of democracy is apparent in many of Whitman’s works, such as “Drum-Taps”
Walt Whitman’s Religious Vision Embedded at the Heart of Leaves of Grass as seen through the poem, Song of Myself
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.
“We Grow Accustomed to the Dark” by Emily Dickinson shares a similar theme to her other poems, which is an awareness of death and the darker struggles of life. Dickinson was a reclusive poet, and throughout her life suffered a surplus of tragic events, like the deaths of many family members in one year, and the handicapping physical tolls this trauma caused on her. These themes of struggle, sadness, and death often appear in Dickinson’s work.
The glamorization of American opportunity created a great sense of nationalism which encouraged many to embrace ideas like manifest destiny. Walt Whitman was a poet living in the nineteenth century who wrote many poems which figuratively painted a picture portraying enrichment and opportunity in America, and the greater opportunity which could be achieved through traveling west. One compilation of poems entitled Leaves of Grass, was quite influential to those living in America and abroad, catching the eye of many opportunists seeking a better future for themselves. While the stories may be different, a common theme of American nationality exists within the poetry of Walter Whitman’s Leaves of