Walt Whitman

speech and much more. Ginsberg is famous for his free speech that was controversial in the 1950s but then praised in the 1960s. When Ginsberg first started out, he was one of the first to talk about taboo subjects like sex, much like his idol, Walt Whitman. Free speech is not the only thing that Ginsberg was notable for; in fact, he was particularly active in social and political settings. For example, he was a signer for the Vietnam protests vowing to refuse tax payments, he raised awareness…

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…

History books state the first story written was the “Epic of Gilgamesh” and the first book printed was the Gutenberg Bible. An interesting fact, one came before Christ and the other after, but both have roots in religion and contain stories about death and dying. So it is not surprising that literary works are filled with the same. While some works allude to it others bring it to the forefront. Emily Dickinson, in her poem “479”, boldly states, “Because I could not stop for Death” (1206) but…

America wasn’t a country that just “happened”, but rather people worked hard in it to build it into what America is today. In his poem “I hear America singing”, Walt Whitman writes about all the sounds he hears of different blue collar jobs being accomplished. Whether it be a carpenter measuring planks or a wife doing chores at home (Whitman), everyone was putting in work and contributing to the society. Virtually everyone then was contributing, including African Americans. Langston Hughes…

happen in the future. Everyone has good wishes. So does Walt Whitman. By writing the poem “so long,” Whitman makes his wishes for America and people through his announcements. His statements express the idea of democracy and faith in the future of the country. He also imagines his own death. The announcements of the future and his attitude toward death grant Whitman a sense of fulfillment. The author’s faith in future is one theme of the poem. Whitman has many hopes for the country. He…

Dickinson’s and Walt Whitman’s poems have numerous differences. Their writing styles differ as well, in that Emily Dickinson’s are short and simple, while Walt Whitman’s are long, complex and largely prose-style. In Whitman’s work, “Song of Myself”, you learn much about the author. The poem was written in phases, and on page 1024, the notes at the bottom of the page describe how the title of this poem was changed throughout the years. I think this is a semblance of how the poem’s meaning to…

forefather of modern American poetry Walt Whitman writes “Song of Myself” in his great production Leaves of Grass. This poem is one the most enjoyable, controversial, and pioneering poem among twelve other poems. Many poets and critics from the day of its publication until now have debated about it. This influential poem makes Emerson greet Whitman in his great career, which is being a poet and also leads Ezra pound to write a poem called “ A Pact to Whitman “. “Song of Myself” assembles many…

American Voice American Voice is characterized by the theme of brave and how they take on one of the greatest armies in the world. And they’re strong because they won the war against the British. And hard workers because they build the United State Of America. The American voice is characterized by the theme of Brave. This is demonstrated in Patrick Henry, speech “Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death”.This ideas is also found in “which our enemy can send against us”. This support the…

Walt Whitman’s poem, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” which is written based on prior experience, presents two different views based around focusing on how people understand certain material. These perspectives are exhibited through a class lecture on astronomy. Whitman wrote this poem based on prior experience. The poem begins with the speaker sitting through an astronomy lecture taught by an astronomer. The lesson focuses on scientific facts and mathematical figures. The information is…

Though the meaning of “America” has changed over the years, “America” once meant the pursuit of a simplistic yet unique dream. Walt Whitman demonstrates this in section 10 of his “Song of Myself” poem. In this section, he takes on the identity of multiple American people. Among these are a rugged mountain man, the captain of a Yankee clipper ship, the viewer of a marriage between a trapper and a Native American, and one who shelters a runaway slave. These people are all different, which serves…