Essay Comparing Dickinson And Walt Whitman

The American Renaissance occurred when America was a young and fledgling nation, establishing itself after the Revolutionary war. Prominent writers were beginning to define what it meant to be an American, creating a lot of artistic and literary talents of the time. The American Renaissance was a period when writers began to develop distinctly American literature, which focused on the hardships that everyday people would face, as well as current imperfections and issues that affected the new America in which they lived. Literature of this time was dominated by New England writer, Walt Whitman and later on, female poet, Emily Dickinson. The emphases on literature that these American Renaissance writers had was both historical and cultural, having a great impact on the new America.
“He is American, his crudity is an exceeding great stench, but it is America” (Ezra Pound). Walt Whitman is often praised as one of America’s greatest poets, he revolutionized style, his being very unconventional, he ignored the use of structure and rhyme (poets.org). Whitman often went against the societal norm and really changed reader’s views on poetry. Whitman wrote a lot of about the Civil War and its terrifying realities, he also touched on the …show more content…
American literature was in a way, a reflection of the voice of American people during the 19th century. Two significant poets like Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson were able to illustrate the American living during those times, both with it’s joys and struggles. Whitman had more of a bold styled, addressing many controversial issues. While, Dickinson worked more with delicacy and became one of the most recognized poet in the history of American poetry. Moreover, he was named the voice of America and she was named the home-body. Both writers brought unity to the American