Comparitive Essay

Isack Orozco
Ms.Cowley
Per.6
February 28, 2013
Compare and Contrast Throughout the years,many great poets have tried to capture the spirit of America by telling their own personal experiences to tell a facinating poem. These two great poets have done something similar but with a twist ending. Their names are Walt Whitman and Richard Blanco. Both Whitman and Blanco recognize the adversity and unity of the people who contribute to the vitality of America. In Stanza 6 Whitman says " I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear." In my perspective, what Whitman is trying to say is that everybody in America is united together in different variety of groups. He says this because he uses the word "carols" which usually means a group of people singing christmas carols as one. This obviously shows the way he has with words to show the unity of America. In Stanza 21, Whitman also says, " Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs." This is describing the vitality/strength of the American people. He does this by using the words "their strength", which means the people's strength. He also says "singing with open mouths," which means that the American people have the strength to sing out loud no matter what problem or situation they come across.The same as Blanco, the way he puts his word together to describe the way America has unity and vitality. In stanza 79, he says, "waiting for us to name it -- together." What Blanco saying in this stanza is that together as America, we can change the world, but the world won't change untill we try to make an effort. The order Blanco puts his words makes the reader think that he is trying to make a difference in the world by saying in his stanza, "waiting for us." One way that Blanco is saying that America has strength is in stanza 71-72. He says, " We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always -- home." This stanza has a clear meaning which is that if the American people work together, they can overcome any obstacle that is in their way. He is describing this by using this phrase, " We head home," which means together as one. Also, that as long as America stays strong, "we" can accomplish many things and that anything that tries to stop us, "we" will overcome it. Even though both poets utilize similar ideas about America, Whitman is more objective and idealistic while Blanco connects his personal experiences and his visions of America to describe the people who contribute to the vitality of America. For example, in Whitman's poem, " I Hear America Singing," in line 16-17, Whitman says, " The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing." This phrase is clearly showing Whitman's perspective of women which have limited rules in the 1800's. The way he is showing his perspective in women is that everytime he would mention a specific job, Whitman would use "his as he," or "him,'' to signify the certain person for that certain job. Once Whitman got to describe the women, he would display them in these four categories, singing, working, sewing, and washing. These were the only things that the women in the 1800's were able to do. In addition, Whitman lists the diversity of occupation's in America. He mentions mechanics, carpenters,

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