Poetry and Walt Whitman Essay

Submitted By 303Josie
Words: 601
Pages: 3
Open Document
Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman
The poet Emily Dickinson never read the writings of poet, Walt Whitman because she heard his poems were disgraceful. Ironically, if she had published more of her work, it would have received the same negativity. The differences in the writing style, personality and living environment of the two writers outweigh the similarities. They both defied the boundaries and rules of American writing with little acceptance from the authors and society of their lifetime. Today, America regards them as the most significant poets of the nineteenth century because they revolutionized modern poetry with their different writing styles (Lasner). Unfortunately, this recognition came after their deaths.
Emily Dickinson came from a wealthy family who put her in the best schools. She attended Mount Holyoke College for one year before returning home. Walt Whitman came from a large, poor family. Whitman dropped out of school at the age of eleven so he could work to help support his family. During his lifetime, he held various jobs such as a journalist, teacher, a government clerk, and nurse in the Civil War. In addition, Dickinson corresponded with friends and acquaintances through letters because she rarely left her house and invited very few guests to see her. She lived a very secluded life, while Whitman socialized with friends, acquaintances and other writers (Lasner). Even though most Americans did not like Whitman’s work, he published several books of poems during his lifetime (Hass). Conversely, Dickinson published only two of her poems. After her death, her family found and published over 1800 poems and letters (Lasner).
Although, the Bible and Shakesphere influenced both of their writings, they applied this knowledge differently. While both poets wrote about nature, love, self and death, Whitman used feelings, wit and wisdom to write about democracy, war and emancipated manhood. He abandoned the restraints and conventions of structure and wrote long poems in the form of free verse; poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter (Townsend). In one of his most famous poems, “Song of Myself”, he wrote, “And as to you death, and you bitter hug of mortality, it is idle to try to alarm me”. Dickinson wrote a poem stating, “Because I could not stop for Death-- He kindly stopped for me—”. Dickinson did not
Show More

Related Documents: Poetry and Walt Whitman Essay

Comparing Walt Whitman And Emily Dickinson's Poetry

Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson both revere nature, thought for markedly different reasons. To Whitman revels in explaining the human condition and really exposing the intricacies of life through the stalemate of a flank of grass. For example, read "On the Beach at Night", and you will find the metaphoric explanation of life and death. Though both speak of the themes of self and death, Dickinson focuses more on a philosophical exploration of the elusive realities of these themes, while Whitman focuses…

Words 455 - Pages 2

Pablo Neruda Essay

102 Pablo Neruda and Walt Whitman Pablo Neruda was one of the most influential poets of all time in both the English and Spanish languages. His poetry has inspired many poets of todays age to begin writing. However one must wonder where a man like this was able to find such inspiration. Well that can be traced back to one of the fathers of modern day poetry, Walt Whitman. Whitman played a massive role in Neruda’s poetry and his life outside of poetry. In fact Whitman so heavily influenced Neruda…

Words 1385 - Pages 6

Dickinson Vs Whitman

Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are two of the most innovative poets of their time . Their poems, starkly similar in content, broke the boundaries of poetry. Both focus on themes of time and transience. Although both poets were underappreciated during their lifetimes, they are now regarded as the pioneers of the new age of poetry.. Emily Dickinson's poetry is a demonstration of the power of words. Her poems possess a multifaceted simplicity, leaving the reader to ponder the meaning of those spare…

Words 886 - Pages 4

Walt Whitman Essay

Walt
Whitman "A morning glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books." -Walt Whitman 
 Birthplace
 • Born
in
West
Hills,
New
York
on
May
31,
1819
 • Second
son
of
nine
children
 • Parents:
Walter
Whitman
and
Louisa
Van
Velsor
 Early
Years
 • At
age
11,
Walt’s
dad
pulled
him
out
of
school
 so
he
could
work
to
help
support
his
family
 • By
age
12,
Walt
began
working
for
a
printer
in
 New
York
City
and
began
a
love
for
literature
 • At
age
17,
he
became
a
teacher
in
a
one‐room…

Words 353 - Pages 2

Comparing 'And Let America Be America Again' By Langston Hughes

differences. Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes were great poets theses are the similarities and differences on what is the meaning of the American dream. In Walt Whitman poem ‘i hear America singing’, also in let America be America again both of them express the meaning of America. Also not to mention their both poems how could it be an American poem without talking about the American dream. Both individuals use literary devices. The one and the other also listed individuals in their poetry. Although…

Words 230 - Pages 1

Similarities Between Emily Dickinson And Walt Whitman

Both Emily Dickenson and Walt Whitman where very well know poets. Both Emily and Walt also used an assortment of different literary devices to enhance their writing and the readers view on death. A literary device is a word or a phrase used by the writer to give the reader even more insight on what they are talking about. Because Walt and Emily used these literary devices they help their readers understand their perspective on death in a much more advanced way. Personification is a literary term…

Words 483 - Pages 2

Walt Whitman Research Paper

were fighting to secede from the North and a bloody, four-year war had begun. This war was to define the course of American history and nearly every aspect of the American cultural landscape was affected, including the poetry of a working writer in Brooklyn, New York. Walt Whitman was a poetic voice for American democracy, and even though he could not fight directly in the war, he felt that he needed to do something for the war effort and for the causes in which believed so deeply. His contributions…

Words 980 - Pages 4

Allen Ginsberg's "A Supermarket in California" Essay

poem forward the aforementioned journal-like quality and also present the central focal point of tension in the poem as a whole. The opening line specifically expresses a tone of wistfulness or even sadness: "What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman" (Ginsberg, 1). The evocation of Whitman's name is an obvious symbol of optimism or even idealism. Due to the wide-ranging nature of Whitman's own writings, the sense of idealization is meant to extend…

Words 1728 - Pages 7

I Hear America Singing Essay examples

I Hear America Singing SUMMARY In the poem "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman, the reader envisions a country of people working for the greater good of mankind. These people come together as part of the whole society developing industry and production. Each person has a different occupation, but each job is important to the bigger picture. The bigger picture and theme being that of a country in which everyone is working together to create a successful and harmonious civilization. The mechanics…

Words 1854 - Pages 8

Essay on Gender and Whitman

21 April 2014 The Sexual Ambiguity of Whitman’s “Song of Myself” Since Walt Whitman’s poems first began their rise to fame, speculations have been made concerning the sexual innuendoes and homosexual elements often displayed in his works. Many critics argue that Whitman was bisexual, others argue that he was gay, some even argue that he was simply a feminine heterosexual man. Song of Myself gives the impression that Whitman was bisexual by allowing the audience to experience Whitman’s discoveries…

Words 1412 - Pages 6