Walt Whitman, a well-known poet and journalist, was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York. Walt’s love for America and its democracy was contributed from his parents and his upbringing. His younger brothers are even named after his parents favorite American heros such as George Washington Whitman, Andrew Jackson Whitman, and Thomas Jefferson Whitman.
Whitman and his family moved to Brooklyn, when he was just three years old. In New York his father hoped to take advantage of the economic opportunities that were available, but unfortunately his earlier bad investments prevented him from achieving this success he craved so much. At just eleven years old, Whitman’s father took him out of school, so he could help with household income. At …show more content…
Here he witnessed first hand the devastating effects of slavery. He returned to Brooklyn in the autumn of 1848 and started a new “free soil” newspaper name the Brooklyn Freeman. It eventually became a daily despite some initial challenges.
In the spring of 1855, Whitman finally found the style and voice he had been searching for, and self-published a collection of twelve unnamed poems with a preface titled Leaves of Grass. Later in 1856, he published a second edition containing thirty-three poems.
Whitman often used repetition and reiterative devices, examples of this are shown in the lines “Loud! loud! loud!,” which is from Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking. He also uses elements of the opera, such as the aria and the recitative in his poems.
He brought life and vividness to his descriptions of the physical world. He was particularly subtle to sounds and described them with acute awareness. His frequent use of “ing” forms, either present participle or gerund, can be accounted for by his view of the world which was dominated by its change and …show more content…
The languages he uses supports, but also sometimes contradicts his philosophy. Whitman avoids rhyme schemes and other frequently used poetic devices but he does use meter in innovative ways, often to mimic natural speech. Eroticism, particularly homoeroticism, shows significantly in Whitman’s poetry.
He also has great respect for the reproductive powers of the body, which reflects his generation of poetry. After the Civil War, his poetry got darker and more isolated, but his style remains consistent throughout. The poetic structures he uses are unusual but reflect his democratic ideals. Lists give him a way to bring together a variety of items without forcing ranking on them. He also favors the device called anecdotes.
Whitman tries to give his readers a sympathetic experience, which allows them to use the anecdote in their present-day history. In these ways that Whitman has mastered traditional poetry but is no longer obedient to it. Just like democracy has ended the obedience of the
Whitman and his family moved to Brooklyn, when he was just three years old. In New York his father hoped to take advantage of the economic opportunities that were available, but unfortunately his earlier bad investments prevented him from achieving this success he craved so much. At just eleven years old, Whitman’s father took him out of school, so he could help with household income. At …show more content…
Here he witnessed first hand the devastating effects of slavery. He returned to Brooklyn in the autumn of 1848 and started a new “free soil” newspaper name the Brooklyn Freeman. It eventually became a daily despite some initial challenges.
In the spring of 1855, Whitman finally found the style and voice he had been searching for, and self-published a collection of twelve unnamed poems with a preface titled Leaves of Grass. Later in 1856, he published a second edition containing thirty-three poems.
Whitman often used repetition and reiterative devices, examples of this are shown in the lines “Loud! loud! loud!,” which is from Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking. He also uses elements of the opera, such as the aria and the recitative in his poems.
He brought life and vividness to his descriptions of the physical world. He was particularly subtle to sounds and described them with acute awareness. His frequent use of “ing” forms, either present participle or gerund, can be accounted for by his view of the world which was dominated by its change and …show more content…
The languages he uses supports, but also sometimes contradicts his philosophy. Whitman avoids rhyme schemes and other frequently used poetic devices but he does use meter in innovative ways, often to mimic natural speech. Eroticism, particularly homoeroticism, shows significantly in Whitman’s poetry.
He also has great respect for the reproductive powers of the body, which reflects his generation of poetry. After the Civil War, his poetry got darker and more isolated, but his style remains consistent throughout. The poetic structures he uses are unusual but reflect his democratic ideals. Lists give him a way to bring together a variety of items without forcing ranking on them. He also favors the device called anecdotes.
Whitman tries to give his readers a sympathetic experience, which allows them to use the anecdote in their present-day history. In these ways that Whitman has mastered traditional poetry but is no longer obedient to it. Just like democracy has ended the obedience of the