Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" continues to evoke strong emotions because of the paradox inherent in the juxtaposition between egotism on the one hand and selfless idealism on the other. The poem therefore encapsulates what it means to be an America Continue Reading...
Song of Myself categorizes the concept of the American self as Whitman creates the conflict between the individual and the society encapsulating love, life, death, the material and the spiritual within one paradigm. He then reconciles the spiritual w Continue Reading...
In "Song of Myself," the longest and most complex of the three poems from Leaves of Grass, Whitman celebrates not only the self, but also the self with, and among others. This poem has 52 separate sections, each of them uniquely rich in imagery; th Continue Reading...
His constant use of the firs person "I" also shows the strong independent streak in Whitman's character and poetry. "Song of Myself" makes it very clear that this independence is not born of ego, nor does it desire or require isolation. Rather, the Continue Reading...
Furthermore however, he also understands them. He for instance sympathizes with everything and everyone from older times through today's times. He understands the joys and sorrows of all living things, from a simple leaf to a complex human being. An Continue Reading...
Walt Whitman One major theme in Whitman is what he frankly refers to as "the love of comrades…the manly love of comrades." (Whitman, "A Song"). Although Walt Whitman is frequently but inaccurately claimed as a "gay" poet -- even though Leaves Continue Reading...
Walt Whitman, American Author & Poet About his Life: Walt Whitman, an American poet was born on May 31, 1819 and a son of Long Island and the second son of Walter Whitman, a house builder, and Louisa Van Velsor. It was at the age of twelve Whit Continue Reading...
1). Whitman is the spokesman of the American soul when he states, "How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he" (6.2). The American soul is newborn -- without, so it seems, definition. He guesses that grass might be the s Continue Reading...
The Sense of Self and the Omniscient I in Whitmans Song of MyselfIntroductionWalt Whitman\\\'s \\\"Song of Myself\\\" is an epic poem that celebrates the individual self while exploring the interconnectedness of all things. The poem is filled with im Continue Reading...
Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson project, in their poetry, an individual identity that achieves its power from within, thus placing a premium on the individual self. Ironically, this premium on the individual self was very much in vogue in America a Continue Reading...
Song of Myself" response I think your insight that Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is not about egotism is very apt. In fact, Whitman's poem is the very opposite of egotism. You write: "Song of Myself" seems "to focus specifically on himself, as Wh Continue Reading...
Song of Myself Section 24 of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is so strong, yet so subtle. As forceful as the words are, Whitman also takes a passive tone in revealing himself through the verses. Section 24 starts out by describing the poet by name: Continue Reading...
Nature as Guide in "Song of Myself" Whitman's "Song of Myself" is a celebration of Nature in the Romantic-Enlightenment tradition. As is evident from a close reading of the poem, Whitman believes that Nature is a pure force, a sublime manifestation Continue Reading...
It permeates all, the Past as well as the Present, and it is the grandest triumph of the human intellect." (Walt Whitman, 1166) In the poem under discussion, we notice how ordinary the language in its meaning. Its simplicity is what makes it compar Continue Reading...
American Literature "Song of Myself" stanzas 1-21 by Walt Whitman Pride in the self and one's perseverance at life "I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume, for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. " Continue Reading...
" And had Bucke never read any of Whitman's earlier poetry (Leaves of Grass, for example) "we might think that words could not convey greater passion" than they did in Drum-Taps (p. 171). "But now we know better," he went on. The "splendid faith" of Continue Reading...
Dickinson, however, approaches art and nature in a much different way. She does not attempt to assert herself or set herself up as "Amerian Poet" the way that Whitman does. Instead she wrote her poetry without ever once doing so for fame or fortune Continue Reading...
In other words, Whitman is seeking to illustrate why the personal identity of the woman or himself is unimportant regarding the events of the poem. While it may have seemed important in the beginning of the events that the woman was the woman and Wh Continue Reading...
The poem 1601 by Emily Dickinson opens up with the religious line ‘Of God we ask one favor’ which is a provocation of the supernatural into the poem. This gives the supernatural the supreme power and sets the tone for the poem, one that i Continue Reading...
But this experience does allow him to make the case that all men should at least seek themselves, however the shape of their respective lives allow this. This is the universality that permeates the transcendental movement and touches on the romantic Continue Reading...
Peer Evaluation Writing poetry may often prove to be a difficult task and it is appears as though the writer of this paper struggled in finding her voice and successfully expressing herself. I was initially drawn to this paper/poem because I was int Continue Reading...
oneself through poetry can often prove to be a difficult task, and may be even harder to interpret. In this paper, the writer is able to successfully by creating a general theme of personal growth, transformation, and the confusion that may accompan Continue Reading...
Rousseau, Douglass, both prose writers; Whitman, Tennyson and Wordsworth, all three, poets. What bind them together, what is their common denominator? Nationalism, democracy, love for the common man, singing praises for the ordinary man on the street Continue Reading...
The poet is in turmoil and he turns from his love in order to prevent tarnishing or "spoil" (Pound 2) her because she is surrounded by a "new lightness" (3). This poem reflects upon the importance of experience. Like the poets mentioned before, this Continue Reading...
Fern Hill (Dylan Thomas) The "Poetry Explications" handout from UNC states that a poetry explication is a "relatively short analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationship of the words, images, and other small units that make up a po Continue Reading...
Death brings the poet closer to a sense of peace with life. As part of the earth, death will return him back to the earth. He writes: depart as air -- I shake my white locks at the runaway sun; effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags. Continue Reading...
American poet Walt Whitman, "One's-Self I Sing," "Song of Myself" #s 1,6,9,10,12,14,15,31,33, and 52, and "Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night." Specifically, it will reflect on three pieces of work and show what is going on in historical co Continue Reading...
American Literature Listen to Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God preached. Discuss in the discussion group. Jonathan Edwards gives us a perfect example of the Calvinist beliefs of the Puritan settlers in early New England. Edwards studied theolog Continue Reading...
Ralph Waldo Emerson's idealized and mesmerizing description of the role and life of the poet describes not only the particular calling and obligation of those who choose to follow the poetic muses but also -- because of Emerson's own influence on the Continue Reading...
patterns in literary forms allows the opportunity for reading skills to grow. The subtle interplay between imagination and historical events, captured literally, provides the basis for fine art. The purpose of this essay is to examine certain patter Continue Reading...
The Aeneid Taking a character from The Iliad and setting him on his own journey, the Roman Virgil's epic The Aeneid necessarily contains certain parallels with the earlier Greek text. The overall story of this lengthy poem in and of itself reflect Continue Reading...
O Captain Three Themes in "O Captain! My Captain!" Walt Whitman wrote "O Captain! My Captain!" In 1865 and it serves as an elegy to the President Lincoln, who had just been assassinated. As a patriotic American and the "poet of America" (as he call Continue Reading...
nature in American literature, from earliest writings to the Civil War period. It is my purpose to outline the connection between spirituality, freedom and nature and explain how American writers have chosen to reflect and interpret these themes in Continue Reading...
(Leaves, 680) Similarly Whitman informs us: Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems, You shall possess the good of the earth and sun…there are millions of suns left, You shall no longer take things at Continue Reading...
T.S. Eliot and Amy Lowell The poetic styles of T.S. Eliot and Amy Lowell are so dissimilar, that it comes as something of a shock to realize how much the two poets had in common. Each came from a prominent Boston family, and was related to a Preside Continue Reading...
American National Character What characteristics are distinctly American, regardless of class, race, background? What is problematic about making these generalizations and inheriting the culture? What have we inherited exactly? What problems arise Continue Reading...
Madame Bovary's entire experience is by way of approaching her own obscurity, and indeed her own demise, and her death as an individual. The essay by Elisabeth Fronfen is, for the most part, very perceptive and the analysis she offers is razor sharp Continue Reading...
Henry David Thoreau also senses this loss of distinction. His book, Walden, published in 1854 at the height of American Romanticism, celebrates his return to Nature -- a sanctum of non-artificiality -- where Romantic writers sought knowledge and sp Continue Reading...
Collaboration Work With John Cage John Cage was a revolutionary artist that transcended his time and his generation. He was a man that refused to limit himself or his work in any way. Being a musician myself, I was certainly very appreciative of his Continue Reading...
