Fradkin Dr. Osburg Trends in American Literature March 2‚ 2003 “Song of Myself” as an Epic Poem There are many concepts and characteristics that define an epic. However‚ some criteria are simply more important than others. This is why Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” can be considered as an epic poem due to its ability to meet the most important requirements of an epic. Although it does so through a very intricate method‚ “Song of Myself” contains both a hero and an antagonist‚ thus meeting the basic
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own unique style of writing. Walt Whitman is an idol for being an original and a unique artist. He has a distinctive voice that many have attempted to duplicate and have been unable to do so. Whitman wrote in an epic like proportions; he developed his own rhythmic structure‚ creating complex lines and stanzas. Whitman’s style of free verse becomes synonymous with his name and works‚ and helped distinguish him as a great American poet. By using free verse poetry‚ Whitman tore down the boundary and structure
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Recitatif and Song of Myself A common theme in American literature is the concept of identity and sense of self. This theme is explored through many genres by several different authors. Two pieces of American literature which give perspective on this theme are Toni Morrison ’s Recitatif and Walt Whitman ’s Song of Myself. In Morrison ’s writing‚ one views the ways in which race impacts identity and fosters a common humanity amongst its characters‚ while in Whitman ’s poetry one is able to analyze
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Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson both had different and similar views‚ which influenced how they wrote their poetry. Their social context‚ life experiences‚ and gender are reflected in their poetry. Emily Dickinson focused a lot on death and her struggles of being a woman during her time. Her poems often described the inner state of mind. Waltman attempted to combine universal themes with individual feelings and experiences‚ such as his personal experiences with the Civil War. Whitman and Dickinson
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American Identity of Walt Whitman What is American Identity? American identity could be any specific way a person would perceive America‚ or how he or she can identify America. Walt Whitman‚ a strong independent person but willingly was considered the most American of American poets here today. Mr. Whitman is part of American identity. The way Mr. Whitman lives his life and writes his poems it reflects some methods or behaviors of things that are going on in America today. Song of Myself (1855) is one
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“Each belongs here or anywhere just as much as the welloff… just as much as you‚ Each has his or her place in the procession” (Whitman 95). Walt Whitman is an essential figure in American literature. He has joined the ranks of other great poets of the age such as Emerson and Thoreau. Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is the product of a unique mind that had strong ideas on various aspects of both humanity and life as a whole. This interesting man also goes into unchartered territory with his detailed
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Whitman’s Poetry Walt Whitman will remain as a well-known‚ superb poet. Clarence Brown stated‚ the words of someone speaking on Walt Whitman‚ “He is the only one of the conventionally recognized American poets who is worth reading” (37). Walt Whitman is a poet that writes with purpose. His poetry seems to attempt to teach the more desirable behavior and traits for Americans. It depicts the ideal American democrat‚ peace maker‚ and a well-rounded person‚ in general. Not that Walt Whitman is only about
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"I have not gain’d acceptance of my own time‚ but have fallen back on fond dreams of the future" (by Walt Whitman‚ qtd. in Miller‚ Sex and Sexuality) SEX AND SEXUALITY IN THE POETRY OF WALT WHITMAN Perhaps‚ in the following essay I put a quart into a pint pot‚ because I intend to puzzle out‚ or rather‚ find and give a deeper insight into Walt Whitman’s sexuality that is still a question on agenda. There are readers and critics who state that it is a shame to humble his poetry to this level
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Who were Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman exactly? In simple terms they were some of the founders of a uniquely American style of poetry. While their lives only spanned the last eight decades of the nineteenth century‚ their influence on literature has spanned centuries. They became the iconic writers because of their blatant disregard for previous rules of poetry. Dickinson and Whitman’s poems were unique to them and them alone. Besides being unique during their time‚ their works give insight into
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On a flat road runs the well-train’d runner He is lean and sinewy‚ with muscular He is thinly clothed – he leans forward as he runs With lightly closed fists‚ and arms partially rais’d On a flat road runs the well-train’d runner; (visual imagery). It depicts a professional runner who tries through the flat land on his run‚ but it is also seen that it focuses on the middle or lower class of people made up of common laborers. The "flat land" that he is running across can depict the poet’s birthplace
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