The Impact Of Abraham Lincoln On The Poetry Of Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes. Two highly renowed poets. One of Whitman's most known poems, "I Hear America Singing", is about living the American life; he explains multiple types of people in his piece of work and how they are all a part of America. Similar to this, Langston Hughes wrote the poem "I, Too, Sing America", and in this, he includes African Americans, suggesting that Whitman left some people out. Also saying, that blacks are proud and just as big of a part of America as anyone else. Along with this, both are similar in the sense that they are about people in America. Aside from this, there are three other ways in which the poems "I, Too, Sing America", and "I Hear America Singing", are similar. Becasue of this, the poems

Walt Whitman’s essay, Death of Abraham Lincoln, explains what Lincoln brought to our nation through his life and what he left behind through his death. Whitman observes Lincoln from afar, noticing the reactions a crowd has to his presence. He expresses the importance of first impressions through the awkward silence of the streets and crowds when Lincoln walks out of his unprepossessing carriage on his way to the Astor House prior to his inauguration. Lincoln’s presence took over the moment unlike any figure had before. On the day of April 14, 1865, Whitman recalls his sight of beautiful lilacs at the time of the harrowing event and how this alluring flower became a symbol for him. The lilacs represented the great tragedy on that spring day with their sight or even just with the presence of their soft scent. Whitman was extremely inspired by both the life and death of Abraham Lincoln. Still to this day, Lincoln is known as one of the greatest Presidents to exist in our country and Whitman portrays him as more important than any other heroic figure in our past. In comparison, President Warren G. Harding is known as one of the worst presidents who corrupted our nation. Unlike Lincoln, who is responsible for the emancipation of three million slaves and known as the savior of our union, President Harding was involved in scandals across the nation and is known for his shady presidency. Although Lincoln’s death brought hardship and grief to our country, Harding’s death may

Walt Whitman could be seen as a narcissist because of his confidence in knowing the “ways” of the world. He is confident in his theory that the physical self and the emotional self, or the soul, are equals in all aspects. But I’m unsure if this is such a bad thing, as narcissism has negative connotations. On the other hand, the object of a visionary poet is not to sway people a certain way or impress them but to be able to reveal a moment or feeling in time and share their findings, which Walt does. Through his work he isn’t saying look at me and all I know. He is sharing his self-discovery and soul searching with the reader to show how magical it can be. He shares his uncertainties, what it’s like to love and what it’s like to be at peace

There have been millions of contributions that have shaped America to be what it is today. Being more than a piece of land, America is an inspiring geographical land full of potential and essentially a project, nevertheless, with desire and perseverance. As there still are many divisions in America, for decades America was in a desperate need of some sort of unification. This unification could be achieved possibly through poetry, or anything that could unquestionably transfigure the dormant potential for the divisions in American diversity to become a unified country that would support to eliminate all forces that cause separation. Walt Whitman’s poetry has helped construct the democratic qualities that define what we may call the American self.

The lecture was given by James Piereson on which he discusses about Abraham Lincoln’s great influence on American history. Piereson mentions how Lincoln’s early life has made him a significant leader that no other president can be compared to him. Lincoln worked on a farm to which he hated doing and by the age of twenty-one he left his home for a more urban and commercial life. Lincoln was self-educated, between the age 6 and 15 he went to school for a total of one year. He was a reader of great books and read mostly English and American literature. Piereson even mentions that Lincoln knew he was living at a time that there were no Founding Father left, so Lincoln spent his time studying on the American Founding. Which meant he spent

Those involved in the military, such as Whitman, held deep admiration toward Lincoln. The unforeseen tragedy had transversed the civilian population and had stunned the Union officers. During the Civil War Walter Whitman ministered to wounded soldiers in Union army hospitals in Washington, D.C. The soldiers had--wept like little children when told "Uncle Abe was dead" (A Lawyer Called to Serve 2000). Whitman's involvement in the Civil War had instilled in him a deep ingrained respect toward President Lincoln.

There have been many influential writers that left their own unique mark on American history; one in particular that has made a significant impact is Walt Whitman. His writing styles evoke different nontraditional methods that did not coincide with the traditions of more “mainstream” American writers. He did this by establishing a pattern that utilized a lot of free verse compared to the more natural rhyme of poems, and also by describing his subject with emphasis to make the story as real as possible. He tried to subject his characters to a variety of situations, and seemed to establish a connection between body and pen. It could be said that Walt Whitman was the most influential writer during the 1900’s and contributed the most to the

Walt Whitman writes his poem When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d from the memories of President Lincoln. Walt Whitman makes the narrator of the story use imagery and symbolism to mourn the death of President Lincoln. In the first part of the poem the narrator states: “And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night.” (Whitman 2), and, “O powerful western fallen star.” (Whitman 7) When the narrator states this he is using the western sky to represent the passing of Lincoln and the powerful western fallen star to represent Lincoln himself as well.

When the Civil War ended in 1865, the poet was fifty-eight. His most important work was finished, but his fame kept growing. In London alone, twenty-four different companies were publishing his work. His poems were popular throughout the English-speaking world, and they were widely translated, making him the most famous American of his

I did not enjoy reading “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d.” I thought it was a very boring poem since the mood was sad. It took me a while to realize that Whitman was mourning President Lincoln’s death. I believe their was not much going on in the poem. It just describes the grieving. Whitman seemed to love President Lincoln. He proves this when he stated, “O how shall I warble myself for the death on there I loved? And how shall I deck my song for the large sweet soul that has gone?” Whitman speaks about Lincoln as if he was a family member. Someone he was close to and is having a hard time getting over the death. Although death is a sad subject, Whitman’s becomes more uplifting when he notes, “Dark mother always gliding near

In his essay “Death of Abraham Lincoln”, Walt Whitman recalls the first time he ever saw the future president elect when Lincoln silently passed through New York City on his way to Washington D. C. Then Whitman remarks on the rapid succession of the well-known, recent, and still yet painful events of the Civil War. The strata of session sympathizers, the assassination of Lincoln at Ford’s theatre by John Wilkes Booth five days after the end of the Civil War, and the effect Lincoln’s death will forever have on our nation. Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist-in addition to publishing his poetry- was a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War. The Civil war lasted from 1861 to 1865 and was the result of four

After studying American author, Walt Whitman, it is clear that he has had a long lasting impact on society and the lives of authors and artists who came after him. Through works like Democratic Vistas and Song of Myself, Whitman gave American society tools to promote creative expression and the essence of democracy. However, Whitman’s methods had to be adopted over time to touch/bring attention to different social issues. Two authors who were able to branch off of Whitman’s works and ideas were Isadora Duncan and James Baldwin. By analyzing these two important characters of history, we will be able explore two different social issues in two different eras and how Duncan and Baldwin refined Whitman’s approach in order to make a statement in society. It’s significant to identify the importance of these artists because this process is still relevant in today’s society, adapting from Whitman in order to get points across and make a difference.

The way Whitman shows a personal connection to Lincoln in the poem is like he was actually being Whitman’s captain on the ship. He called Lincoln his father and treated him with respect like he was his actual father. The words and phrases he uses to show their personal connection are father, captain, my father, and dear father. The overall mood of the poem was sadness, grief, and heartbreak. The words and lines that indicated the mood

There is no question that Walt Whitman had the most significant influence on American literary history. Along with Emily Dickinson, Whitman represented the Romantic literature era of American literature. Whitman is known for his distinctive poetic forms and free verse. Whitman’s most popular work Leaves of Grass influenced many future writers that came after him to follow his writing style. The richness that Leaves of Grass left behind had such a huge impact on American writers of many different backgrounds and cultures. Whitman’s influence can be seen in the works of Ezra Pound, Langston Hughes, and Sharon Olds.

President Abraham Lincoln, admired by Walt Whitman, blossomed in “Whitman's writing and in American mythology”(Eiselein) for his leadership and nobility. Whitman hoped for a rugged, healthy, who knew what real, physical work was, to be the “[r]edeemer [p]resident of [t]hese [s]tates”(Whitman). His hopes came true “as in a dream”(Whitman) when “four years later, just such a beard-faced boatman”(Goodheart) entered the White House. Walt Whitman discovered the “comprehensive, all-directing soul he had long been seeking”(Reynolds) in Abraham Lincoln’s life. Therefore Whitman, a patriotic American, would see Lincoln’s death as not only a grave tragedy but also a “promise [of] ultimate purgation and unification for America.”(Reynolds).