of specifically American literature, which contributed to the American national identity and individuality. Walt Whitman is a member of this era in poetry is heavily influenced by his upbring and background in this independent and patriotic America. Walt Whitman, one of the key figures of the American Romantic movement, was born on May 31, 1819 in New York. At the age of twelve, Whitman began to study the printer's trade and educated himself by reading the works of Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, and
Walt Whitman is considered by many to be one of the greatest poets of the nineteenth century. Whitman grew up in New York and was a member of a large family, having eight siblings. Only four of these siblings lived to adulthood. His father was an alcoholic, which led to Whitman becoming more like a father-figure than a brother to his siblings. Whitman quit school at the age of eleven. He then worked as a journalist, as a carpenter, as a teacher, and as an editor before focusing on poetry. Whitman
Walt Whitman Changes the Face of Literature When Walt Whitman published the first edition of Leaves of Grass it was received with a wide variety of reactions. From critics to fellow poets the reactions to his first volume were often admiring, but also dubious. This pattern continued with each of the six editions of Leaves. Many wondered where this 36 year-old "poet of the people" came from. The very way he presented his first volume of poetry was controversial. Whitman presented
seem as if it was a hallucination. Particular readings of Hawthorne’s works of fiction, such as “Young Goodman Brown”, have been said to be “authoritative and tended to project the reality of the text on various external realms. The common idiom of criticism has been that of morally committed psychology of characters and their
American authors that use various writing techniques to transform their ideas into works of art. Walter “Walt” Whitman is one of the most famous authors that used a variety of styles in many of his poems. Many of his works of art affected the population and have influenced the country. He has created multiple poems that have become popular over the years and will be remembered for years to come. Walt Whitman comes from an impecunious family that has a tremendous amount of love for their home country, America
American Influences of Walt Whitman In his poems and life, Walt Whitman celebrated the human spirit and the human body. He sang the praises of democracy and marveled at the technological advances of his era. His direct poetic style shocked many of his contemporaries. This style, for which Whitman is famous, is in direct relation to several major American cultural developments. The development of American dictionaries, the growth of baseball, the evolution of Native American policy, and the development
self-wisdom, discovery and betterment – is the ground-breaking poet, Walt Whitman. In his poetry, Whitman explores the surreal and cosmic, relating the supernatural to the mundane .With an emphasis on oneness with nature, Whitman’s celebratory attitude of the human soul in all of its complexity, beauty, and contradictions is most noted in his extensive poem titled “Song of Myself”, and is developed further in his poem “Kosmos”. Moreover, Whitman pioneers the future of modern poetry while incorporating his
Bear with me. Walt Whitman, the lecturer, presents a persuasive argument for the de-evolution of society, the abandonment of conventional rules and ultimately, the re-establishment of our naturally divine souls. As evinced through vivid natural imagery, Whitman imagines a golden era before “civilized” strictures constrained the human soul and squeezed out an impure being. This ideal person, as Whitman the lecturer imagines himself to be, is liberated from feeling shame for indulging in vice, demonstrated
Whitman and Homosexuality While responses to Whitman's poetry have always been diverse in some ways, the interpretations of his homosexuality can be divided into three stages. In general terms, Whitman's earliest critics tried to deny Whitman's "deviance"; later critics accepted his homosexuality yet framed it as a marginalized truth; and contemporary critics have exploded in response to these years of oppression, outing Whitman in loud declarations of his intense feelings for men.
Sexuality and its references were seen as taboo in The Victorian Era. Stoker’s background including childhood sickness, college athletic career, and interests in the supernatural found in the various folklore along with influence from his mentor Walt Whitman and the Enlightenment Era lead to strong characteristics in main protagonists such as Van Helsing. While his contrasting views on sexuality by describing it in a violent manner and emphasizing the desiring and lustful feelings of humanity. Stoker’s