Romanticism, Realism, and Walt Whitman
Author, G.K. Chesterton described in his book, Alarms and Discursions, the idea of realism when he wrote, “Realism is simply Romanticism that has lost its reason...that is its reason for existing” (G.K. Chesterton). Realism and Romanticism both hold important truths about the world around us. Romanticism was a literature movement that expressed the importance of individualism, the nature of human beings, and the spirituality of people. American Realism offered an insight into the life of everyday person, the hostilities of nature, and the acceptance of sexuality. Walt Whitman was a writer who was in the transition of Romanticism and Realism as he used both Romantic and Realist qualities within his work. …show more content…
Walt Whitman, a superior poet during the nineteenth century, had romantic qualities within his works as well. Like his other Whitman’s incredible works, romantic qualities are found in his poem, “Song of Myself” with one of these qualities being a closeness to nature. In the poem, humanity’s connection to nature and nature’s connection to life is very prominent as shown in section six where Whitman writes, “And what do you think has become of the women and children?/ They are alive and well somewhere,/ the smallest sprout shows there is really no death”. Whitman uses the idea of nature’s life to show that there really is a union between human life and nature itself. From this connection to nature, readers are able to see that nature is deeply rooted in how each of us acts, and through nature, there is no true death. This union between nature and humanity is very relatable, allowing readers to be able to infer about the time that Walt Whitman lived in and the effects his writing has. Using the romantic quality of nature in his work, Walt Whitman showed that nature is a very significant and prominent factor in each of our lives and should be embraced by …show more content…
In the poem, the emphasis is placed upon the daily lives of everyday people from their experiences to their roles in society. In describing the ways of life for each people, Whitman wrote, “The carpenter dresses his plank, the tongue of his foreplane whistles/its wild ascending lisp,/The married and unmarried children ride home to their Thanksgiving dinner”(15). Whitman does not shy away from the realities of life, giving the poem realist qualities as well as the romantic qualities within the work. From this quality in his work, readers can connect to the uniqueness and beauty found in everyday life. The realist quality in his work offers a practical look at the world around us, giving insight about the struggles and truths of all people in
Author, G.K. Chesterton described in his book, Alarms and Discursions, the idea of realism when he wrote, “Realism is simply Romanticism that has lost its reason...that is its reason for existing” (G.K. Chesterton). Realism and Romanticism both hold important truths about the world around us. Romanticism was a literature movement that expressed the importance of individualism, the nature of human beings, and the spirituality of people. American Realism offered an insight into the life of everyday person, the hostilities of nature, and the acceptance of sexuality. Walt Whitman was a writer who was in the transition of Romanticism and Realism as he used both Romantic and Realist qualities within his work. …show more content…
Walt Whitman, a superior poet during the nineteenth century, had romantic qualities within his works as well. Like his other Whitman’s incredible works, romantic qualities are found in his poem, “Song of Myself” with one of these qualities being a closeness to nature. In the poem, humanity’s connection to nature and nature’s connection to life is very prominent as shown in section six where Whitman writes, “And what do you think has become of the women and children?/ They are alive and well somewhere,/ the smallest sprout shows there is really no death”. Whitman uses the idea of nature’s life to show that there really is a union between human life and nature itself. From this connection to nature, readers are able to see that nature is deeply rooted in how each of us acts, and through nature, there is no true death. This union between nature and humanity is very relatable, allowing readers to be able to infer about the time that Walt Whitman lived in and the effects his writing has. Using the romantic quality of nature in his work, Walt Whitman showed that nature is a very significant and prominent factor in each of our lives and should be embraced by …show more content…
In the poem, the emphasis is placed upon the daily lives of everyday people from their experiences to their roles in society. In describing the ways of life for each people, Whitman wrote, “The carpenter dresses his plank, the tongue of his foreplane whistles/its wild ascending lisp,/The married and unmarried children ride home to their Thanksgiving dinner”(15). Whitman does not shy away from the realities of life, giving the poem realist qualities as well as the romantic qualities within the work. From this quality in his work, readers can connect to the uniqueness and beauty found in everyday life. The realist quality in his work offers a practical look at the world around us, giving insight about the struggles and truths of all people in