Poetic Tools Describe Life in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself Essay
- 1285 Words
- 6 Pages
Walt Whitman is commonly known as the bard of America, a poet who wrote about the common man of the country as had never been done before. He was able to do so because he was a common man, as can be seen in lines such as "This is the city and I am one of the citizens." Within his poetry he often used certain tools of the typical epic tale, borrowed from such tales as The Iliad, and The Odyssey. All of these tools can be seen within the lines of his lengthy poem of fifty-two sections "Song of Myself." The first of these tools include an invocation of the muse, as can be seen in the lines "I loafe and invite my soul," which appears to be an invocation of a muse, or his own…show more content…
Perhaps this is Whitman's own way of saying to his audience "pay attention, for although I am speaking of myself I speak for you too, so this is important, and applies to your life as well." Continuing on he claims to "strip away" what is known, and "launch all men and women forward with me into the unknown." This statement serves as if to say to the audience "forget what you know, and what you have been taught. I have something new and important to tell you, so open your mind and use your imagination." Whitman then describes the difference between a clock and eternity. For a clock can only count a moment, it has a very short span; however, it in no way can begin to encompass eternity for eternity is immeasurable. Using images of an endless stream of buckets rising from a reservoir continually providing us with time Whitman paints a picture of eternity, making it a tangible rather than intangible thing. He does what the clock is not able to do. While the clock is incapable of measuring eternity, he gives you an easy image to associate with eternity, making one able to grasp the concept of how expansive eternity really is. Continuing with the idea of the expansiveness of eternity Whitman gives examples of the "trillions of winters
- Good Essays
The Poetry of Walt Whitman versus William Carlos Williams Essay
- 1744 Words
- 7 Pages
The Poetry of Walt Whitman versus William Carlos Williams Perhaps the most basic and essential function of poetry is to evoke a particular response in the reader. The poet, desiring to convey on emotion or inspiration, uses the imagination to create a structure that will properly communicate his state of mind. In essence he is attempting to bring himself and the reader closer, to establish a relationship. William Carlos Williams contends that "art gives the feeling of completion
- 1744 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays - Better Essays
Vincent Willem Van Gogh And His Life
- 2164 Words
- 9 Pages
paintings portrayed emotionally evocative style through the use of bold colors and later swirling brush strokes. Throughout his life van Gogh worked on his art while battling mental instability which lead to his death in 1890 as a result of a fatal, possibly self inflicted gun shot. His most famous and respected paintings were completed in the final two years of his life. Van Gogh began drawing at a young age and started painting during 1870. His work includes that of watercolor, drawings and sketches
- 2164 Words
- 9 Pages
Better Essays - Decent Essays
Langston Hughes Research Paper
- 25309 Words
- 102 Pages
In 1919, when Langston Hughes was seventeen years old, he spent the summer with his father, Jim Hughes, in Toluca, Mexico. Langston had not seen his father since he was a small child, and he was excited about making the trip. However, during this visit, no affectionate bond would develop between Langston and Jim. Jim Hughes was a cold, difficult man, who was driven by ambition to make money and achieve respect. He had moved to Mexico to avoid segregation and racial injustice in the United States
- 25309 Words
- 102 Pages
Decent Essays