Meg Whitman

going to be stuck in this lonely desert island. I could only save one book The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson or the Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman? What a hard choice to pick especially since both books are so amazing and exceptional. Well my choices are limited, but sadly I would save the Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. I choose Whitman’s book because his writing is blunt, also Whitman’s topics are more intriguing, and his poems will be helpful considering it will help…

The first poem I am going to talk about is called “I hear America singing” written by Walt Whitman. The second poem is called “Let America be America again” by Langston Hughes. These two poems have a few similarities that I am going to talk about. The first similarity is that both of these poems themes are centered towards the main idea of America and the american dream. These poems talk about how the american dream is all based upon opportunity. The main similarity that caught my eye is where…

Walt Whitman conveys the concepts of the “vast similitude” and nonlinear time to show the connection between humans. In “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” and various other poems, poet Walt Whitman portrays the idea of the “vast similitude.” The vast similitude can be defined as the traits shared between people. In addition to the vast similitude, Whitman strategically uses the concept of nonlinear time in his poetry, an idea that the past, present, and future are all connected. The idea of nonlinear…

Some may argue that people interact with nature in an overall positive way because of the poem titled, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” by Walt Whitman, and how it shows that humans interact with nature in a positive way. However, when people do interact with nature, it is usually in a negative way and they tend to take the Earth and all it has to offer for granted, as shown in “My Life as a Bat” by Margaret Atwood, because people's feelings for bats are almost always negative, as well as…

In Leaves of Grass, Whitman often exhibits the ideals of the Transcendental Club, for example he says, " All truths wait in all things, they neither hasten their own delivery nor resist it, they do not need the obstetric forceps of the surgeon, the insignificant is as big to me as any, what is less or more than a touch" (Whitman 61). In keeping with transcendentalist beliefs, Whitman incorporates the idea of all mankind, whether they be rich or poor…

Then, just when Whitman thought his luck had turned and Leaves of Grass started selling well, his publisher went bankrupt and someone stole the printing plates of the third edition. That printer is believed to have pirated 100,000 copies of the book (“Walt Whitman”, 1998). Indeed, Whitman’s poetry did not gain much fame until after his death, but towards the end of his life he gained recognition in Europe (“Walt Whitman”, 2002). Nevertheless, “in the years following Whitman’s death, Leaves of…

Whitman and AL-Hallaj as Sufi poets Throughout centuries poets and mystics of all nations have faced the dilemma of trying to express the inexpressible (Selim 26). They had a lot of knowledge, and insights within, but they were unable to put them into words in many occasions. Especially in times of intense spirituality, words failed to express the ecstasy they reached often through meditation and deep thinking. Sufi poets were among the most poets who suffered from this dilemma. Their beliefs…

Whitman Pre-Civil War and Post-Civil War Analysis During his influential seventy-three year life, Walt Whitman produced works such as Leaves of Grass, and “Song of Myself”, which were influential in the transition from transcendentalism to realism. Whitman’s evolution was partly caused by the Civil War, being that after the war, the starkness of the situation his beloved country was in is evident in his work. More specifically, the Civil War changes Whitman’s view of Democracy, changing the…

“Where did the handsome beloved go?” is a poem written in 13th century Persia by Sufi poet Jalal Al-Din Rumi. This 26-line free verse couplet poem follows no rhyming scheme. The tones throughout this poem are somber, loving, yearning, and religious. It follows Rumi in his search for someone he misses greatly. He looks everywhere he knows and ask many people if they’ve seen him. We realize at the end that this beloved of his is Shams Tabriz his spiritual instructor that has died. Jalal…

Narrative voice involves analyzing the speaker and considering all aspects the narrator highlights which helps the reader understand the style and tone of the poem. Furthermore, the tone of voice the poet uses helps the reader understand the plot of the poem. In this essay I will analyze how narrative voice impacts the poem. Furthermore, I will analyze, the actual impact and importance the narrator has on the reader. “If” talks about the moral and complex lessons a man has to attain throughout…