Research Paper On Walt Whitman

This was a cause for celebration, hence the symbol of singing. Whitman lists each profession followed by what they do and how it is their distinct song. He also related this to how wach one is American and this variety and joy is what makes them American. The point he is trying to get across, is that the freedom in America is a cause for celebration and should not be taken for granted. We need to enjoy the freedom we have been so graciously blessed with. There is nothing more special than the ability to freely do what we find desirable each and every day. Hughes' poem, I, Too, Sing America, is very different in the theme; the main theme is how he is viewed in America, being an African-American. He talks about how he treated differently because of his color. For example, " I am the darker brother/ They send me to eat in the kitchen/ When company comes"(Lines 2-4). It is clear that he is not treated equally because of his skin color. In this poem, he explains that, although he has dark skin, he too sings. He wants to, and is apart of their culture and country. Nothing and nobody can take that away from him. He explains that one day everyone will see how beautiful he is and be ashamed of how they treated him. These two poems, clearly have different themes; however, Hughes' poem, I, Too, Sing America, builds off of Whitman's poem, I Hear America Singing, by saying that he is just as American and wants to enjoy the freedom of the country he resigns in and can "sing" just as

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off/work, /The boatman singing...". (3-5)This is only a few of the many types of people that Whitman explains are all American, but most importantly, America. The poem unites all people of different backgrounds and jobs and says that they are all the same in the sense that they are American. In similarity, Hughes poem says, "Tomorrow,/I'll

America is a country that has been through many different times of trials. Wars and disease have spread across that nation several times. During times of depression, though, a group of people seems to always emerge from the destruction. That group of people are the poets and writers of America. Through trial and strife, writers are able to find inspiration for their works, and are able to give readers hope for a better day. Walt Whitman was an amazing writer who wrote several poems concerning the great United States of America, talking about the people that have built the nation up from the dust. But, a group of people that Whitman forgot to write about on most occasions were the slaves and black people of which America thrived. Langston Hughes was a black man in the 20th century that took note of Whitman's poems, and their lack of recognition towards his people. Whitman wrote a poem called, "I Hear America Singing," in which Hughes wrote the poem, "I, Too Sing America," in response. In the poem by Hughes, there are several different ways that the writing interlaces with Walt Whitman's.

Walt Whitman believed everyone was equal and was a big fan of Abraham Lincoln. After Lincoln’s assassination Whitman wrote many poems to describe the travel of Lincoln’s body back to Springfield including “Drum Taps”. According to Martin Griffin of the New York Times “Oh Captain! My Captain” was the only short poem about Lincoln to become well known. Although Whitman never directly met Lincoln, he had seen

Whitman was able to do this almost effortlessly because he saw what was really going on. He volunteered as a wound-dresser; he wrote letters for wounded soldiers, he gave of himself tirelessly. Whitman saw his nation divided and stood to tell his tale. He was an everyman; he was any man. Whitman was the human embodiment of undying compassion. Most of all Whitman is something

Whitman wrote broad stanzas and focused on the whole of America as his inspiration. His lines covered a wide range of topics and generated multiple points of view for the reader. He called his life’s work “Leaves of Grass”; stressing the

Walt Whitman is the author of this poem. This poem is a free verse poem. It’s purpose is to celebrate workers and success. The basic tone of this poem is patriotic. The theme is individual workers, liberties that make America great.

Michael Conlin, professor at the University of Wisconsin, stated, "But Whitman was, in the 1850s, consumed by the coming of the Civil War. It was in the midst of the crisis that Whitman wrote some of the most egalitarian and profound verse relating to African Americans." Being born into a lifestyle where he was taught to take full advantage of white privilege and to show nothing more but hatred towards blacks can explain why he was often between mind and matter when expressing himself. The Civil War caused dismay for many whites because they believed that blacks would make life in the North chaotic. Post Civil War drew in even more worry and tension between black and white men. As humans we all want feel accepted by our peers and sometimes worrying about validation from them drifts us away from our own self beliefs. That may have happened to Walt Whitman as well. Deep down he knew that even a scientific theory could not come to the conclusion that integrity, wisdom, and lack of humane quality was based on race. With that thinking, his works provided and showed how e really felt about African Americans. This dismay could have caused him to be called a "nigger lover" by his peers. His thoughts being diminished based on how his peers felt about him may have been what caused him to take advantage of his white privilege and turn the blind eye towards blacks, the ones he once adored and stuck up for. Later on he discovered that that did not solve any problems because he was also confused on how he actually felt himself. That caused his later works to be bright line in which he was helping both races see the sides of their own madness, he too was expressing how he had connected both with the white and the black man. However, some people

Introduction: Walt Whitman was an American poet from West Hills, Long Island New York. He wrote plenty of poems for the New York Times Journal newspaper also known for the famous book Leaves of Grass that had nine editions and is more than one book. The book Leaves of Grass was published in 1888 when he was finally done with all nine editions and he had passed after publishing the ninth edition.

Walt Whitman was considered a new breed of American because no one dared to release these types of thoughts in a published book before. His immunity of social constraints and his impulsiveness made it seem as if he radiated poetry. Walt Whitman was shunned and shrugged off as much as he was respected. Transcendentalists would read his book of poems idolized him and dubbed him the greatest American to expel such creativity and wisdom while others saw him as an

After the Civil War, Walt Whitman realized that the American people were in need of their own identity. Therefore, he wrote the book “Leaves of Grass” with the goal of creating a literature piece that was authentic and organic to the United States in every sense. Whitman introduced to literature the idea of the “American Dream” and highlighted how important it was for the American people to develop their own identity. Consequently, he rejected the European writing styles and adapted the use of free-verses to his writing, making it a popular writing style in American poetry. Whitman valued of humanity, nature and spirituality. Therefore, he joined the Transcendental literary movement and

“O Captain! My Captain!” is one of the most popular poems ever written by Walt Whitman. Upon the initial reading of this poem, one may perceive the poem to be about a loyal captain who leads his crew on a treacherous, but successful, voyage which ends in devastation. If interpreted literally this is the poem’s only meaning, but for those who look further there is an underlying story behind the words of Whitman. Whitman uses multiple literary elements throughout this poem in order to unmask the story of Abraham Lincoln’s journey and ultimate death as a result of the Civil War and his fight to end slavery.

Walt Whitman, a civil war nurse was a self-taught poet in the 1800s. Whitman is known for using lists, anaphora, free verse, and other literary devices in his poems. In his works, he focuses on American workers, diversity, transcendent approaches to nature, and individualism. “Song of Myself,” a poem written by Whitman, explores themes of nature, sex, democracy, and spirituality. Whitman uses nature to fuel his creativity in using grass as a symbol of comparison to life by using imagery, metaphors, and analogies.

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 of photography all played a part and became essential components of Whitman’s poetry.

This portrays Whitman’s attitude towards his idealization of America and human life. The essence of the “Soul” is within the embodiment of the working American people as they sing lively. For Walt Whitman in I Hear America Singing, the “Soul” is connected with the essence of the American people, viewing them as bodies of one.