Whitman, a Transcendentalist
Christy Loy
Prairie Central High School
Summer 2006
Library of Congress, Manuscript Division,
Thomas Biggs Harned Walt Whitman Collection.
Walt Whitman was the father of modern poetry in that he wrote poetry about the common
man and used free verse. He was also a devotee of the Transcendental movement brought
to America by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This lesson will help students understand the
poetry of Whitman and the poet’s convictions as they relate to Transcendentalism. (Note:
This lesson assumes that students have already studied transcendentalism and some
works of Ralph Waldo Emerson.)
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview
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Objectives
Students will:
 understand and apply literary terms (free verse,
alliteration, repetition) to Walt Whitman’s poems “I
Hear America Singing” and “What is the Grass”
 analyze and interpret the poems of Whitman to find
the themes
 identify characteristics of transcendentalism in
Whitman’s poems
 compose a poem using literary devices and
transcendental characteristics
Recommended time frame
Grade level
Curriculum fit
Materials
2 (90-minute) blocks
11th
Language Arts
 Copies of the poems “I Hear America Singing” and
“What is the Grass” by Walt Whitman (Note: By
clicking on the “I Hear America Singing” link, you
will be able to not only see but hear the poem being
read as well as find other links to Whitman materials
at the Library of Congress.)
 Study guide over Whitman and “I Hear America
Singing”
 Photocopied page of Transcendental characteristics
(see handouts below)
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Illinois State University
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Photocopied packets (one per team) of all primary
resources (see resource map below)
Photocopied “Clue Diagram” titled “Walt Whitman
Writings and His Butterfly” (see handouts)
Rubric for student-created poetry (see handouts)
Teacher-created exemplar of poem (See handouts)
PowerPoint on Transcendentalism
Illinois State Learning Standards
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Language Arts:
GOAL 2: Read and understand literature
representative of various societies, eras and ideas.
 2.A.4a Analyze and evaluate the effective use of
literary techniques (e.g., figurative language,
allusion, dialogue, description, symbolism, word
choice, dialect) in classic and contemporary
literature representing a variety of forms and media.
 2.A.5d Evaluate the influence of historical context
on form, style and point of view for a variety of
literary works.
 2.B.5a Analyze and express an interpretation of a
literary work.
 2.B.5b Apply knowledge gained from literature as a
means of understanding contemporary and historical
economic, social and political issues and
perspectives.
GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of
purposes.
 3.A.5 Produce grammatically correct documents
using standard manuscript specifications for a
variety of purposes and audiences.
Procedures
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Day One:
 Introduce the life of Walt Whitman with a brief
lecture or have a student who has researched this
author present his or her biography.
 Read or play an audiotape of “What is the Grass,” a
poem by Walt Whitman, and model how to analyze
a poem. Students should have a copy of this poem to
view as well.
 Hand out the study guide for “I Hear America
Singing” by Walt Whitman and have students in
teams work together to answer the questions.
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University



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When teams are finished, ask each team to share a
few answers so that all students have the correct
answers.
At the end of the discussion, lead students through a
series of oral questions to discover that Whitman
was a transcendentalist like Ralph Waldo Emerson,
whom they have already studied. (Suggested
questions: Are all the workers happy? Are workers
doing their “own thing”? Are they all connected as
they sing “carols”? What philosophy does this
remind you of that you have already studied?)
Review the characteristics of transcendentalism that
students have studied by showing the PowerPoint on
Transcendentalism.
Hand out a graphic organizer of the characteristics
of transcendentalism, one packet of photocopied and
enlarged primary resources (copy, enlarge, and paste
items from the resource map below) to each team,
and a “Clue Diagram” titled “Walt Whitman
Writings and His Butterfly.”
Teams will work together to the end of the period
analyzing the primary resources, filling in the clue
diagram, and completing a paragraph summarizing
the findings.
Day Two:
 Students will rejoin their teams and continue to
analyze the primary resources and complete the
analysis worksheets.
 Students will read their paragraphs they composed at
the bottom of the clue diagram to the class as a
review and as a lead in to the culminating exercise.
 Announce that students will now create a poem that
reveals at least one characteristic of
transcendentalism, includes the literary devices of
alliteration and repetition, and is an example of free
verse in the Whitman style.
 Hand out and discuss the rubric so that students will
see how they will be scored. (See rubric below)
 Read a teacher-created exemplar. Write one
yourself or feel free to use the poem in the handout
section titled “A Mother’s Song.”
 Students will present their poems to the class and
turn in to the teacher for grading.
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Illinois State University
Evaluation
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Extension
The teacher will informally evaluate student
understanding of the poetry analysis process during
a class discussion of the poem “What is the Grass”
by Whitman.
Students will informally evaluate their answers to a
study guide over Whitman and the poem “I Hear
America Singing” in a collaborative effort among
team members and then as a class.
Using a rubric, the teacher will formally evaluate the
poem students composed in their teams.
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Students may draw a picture or find clipart to
accompany their poems.
Students may write an individual poem that reflects
their personal philosophy as opposed to
transcendentalism but retains the style and literary
device requirements. The original rubric found
below may be used by removing the requirement for
transcendental characteristics.
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Illinois State University
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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Image/Resource
Description
LC #220
Whitman's
Cardboard
Butterfly
Citation
Library of
Congress,
Manuscript
Division, Thomas
Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
URL
http://memory.loc.
gov/ammem/colle
ctions/whitman/bu
tterfly.html
Poet at Work:
Walt Whitman. ca.
1877-1883.
Library of
Congress,
Manuscript
Division, Thomas
Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
Library of
Congress,
Manuscript
Division, Thomas
Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
http://memory.loc.
gov/ammem/colle
ctions/whitman/in
dex.html
Ralph Waldo
Emerson (18031882) to Walt
Whitman (18191892),
July 21,1855
Page 2
Holograph letter
Manuscript
Division (17),
Library of
Congress.
http://www.loc.go
v/exhibits/treasure
s/whitmanleavesofgrass.html
#ww0017
Notebook LC #80
"Earliest"
Notebook
(Holloway No.1),
1847, page 25.
Walt Whitman
Notebooks, 18471860s
Ralph Waldo
Emerson (18031882) to Walt
Whitman (18191892)
Transcription
http://memory.loc.
gov/ammem/ndlpe
du/collections/ww
/thinking.html
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Poet at Work:
Walt Whitman
Notebooks 1850s1860s Home Page
Front Cover,
Library of
Congress,
Manuscript
Division, Thomas
Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
http://memory.loc.
gov/cgibin/ampage?collId
=whitman&fileNa
me=wwhit080.dat
a&recNum=0
Poet at Work:
Walt Whitman
Notebooks 1850s1860s, Notebook
LC #9P 75
Image 75,
Library of
Congress,
Manuscript
Division, Thomas
Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
http://memory.loc.
gov/cgibin/ampage?collId
=whitman&fileNa
me=wwhit094.dat
a&recNum=96
Poet at Work:
Walt Whitman
Notebooks 1850s1860s
Notebook LC #94
P 200
Image 200,
Library of
Congress,
Manuscript
Division, Thomas
Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
http://memory.loc.
gov/cgibin/ampage?collId
=whitman&fileNa
me=wwhit094.dat
a&recNum=223
Notebook LC
#80
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Illinois State University
Rubric
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Name________________________ Block______
Poetry Rubric for student-written “Whitmanesque” poem
Poetry
Novice
Ability to
captivate the
reader
Unfocused;
author seems
unsure of
direction
(1-2 pts.)
Uses literary
devices
(must include
alliteration,
repetition)
Difficult to
find use of
any devices
(1-3 pts)
Use of
transcendental
characteristics
Does not
incorporate
characteristics
(1-2 pts)
Apprentice
Veteran
Master
Well focused
and interests
reader
throughout.
(5-6 pts)
Captivates
and involves
reader deeply.
(7-8 pts)
Some use of
literary
devices
(4-6 pts)
Clear use of
some literary
devices
(7-9 pts)
Vivid, strong
use of several
literary
devices
10-12 pts)
Incorporates
1
characteristic
(3-4 pts)
Incorporates
2
characteristics
(5-6 pts)
Incorporates
3
characteristics
(7-8 pts)
Some focus,
but lacks
continuity
(3-4 pts.)
Punctuation
Arbitrary
punctuation
(1-2 pts)
Some
meaningful
punctuation
(3-4 pts)
Punctuation
meaningful
throughout
(4-5 pts)
Punctuation
enhances
conveyance of
thoughts and
images
(5-6 pts)
Form
(free verse)
Lines rhyme
Some Rhyme
Only one
accidental
rhyme
No rhyming
lines
Poetry rubric adapted from: http://www.eop.mu.edu/greg/Sample_Poetry_Rubric.html
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Illinois State University
Score
Handouts
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NAME____________________________ BLOCK____
WALT WHITMAN “I HEAR AMERICA SINGING” STUDY GUIDE
Define the following literary terms:
1. Define free verse
2. Define alliteration
3. Give an example of alliteration from the poem:
4. Define repetition
5. Give an example of repetition from the poem:
“I HEAR AMERICA SINGING”
6. In general, most poetry written prior to Whitman’s day dealt with idealized characters or extraordinary
heroes. What kinds of people did Whitman choose to portray?
7. - 10. List four workers and what they are doing as they sing.
a.
b.
c.
d.
11. What phrase does Whitman use to indicate these separate individuals are part of a united group? (think
in terms of a musical group)
12. Define blithe
13. Define robust
14. What is the mood of this poem?
15. How is Whitman’s poetry different from traditional poetry?
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Clue Diagram
NAME(S)_____________________________________________________________________ BLOCK_________
WALT WHITMAN WRITINGS AND HIS BUTTERFLY
(These original documents reside in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.)
The following excerpts from Whitman’s notebooks plus his butterfly should give you clues that he was a follower of
Emerson and the philosophy of transcendentalism. After viewing your packet of primary resources from the Library
of Congress, explain how each piece provides a clue and enter your findings in the appropriate box below. Then write
a paragraph summarizing your finding in the box at the bottom of the page.
Emerson’s letter to Whitman
Whitman’s Notebook #80, p. 25
Whitman’s Notebook #94, p.200
Write a paragraph summarizing your findings here:
Whitman’s Notebook #9, p. 75
Whitman’s Cardboard Butterfly
CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANSCENDENTALISM
INDIVIDUALISM:
Do what is right for you. Don’t follow the crowd.
BELIEF IN YOURSELF:
Be true to one’s own inner perception or intuition; hold on to your beliefs because they are right
for you even if others disagree.
MAN, UNIVERSE AND NATURE ARE
ONE:
Emerson called it the Oversoul. It can be a guide to higher understanding; nature is truth
and symbolizes God or the inner life of human beings.
OPTIMISM:
All is good; evil is an illusion.
UNLIMITED POTENTIAL:
Each individual should set high goals to improve.
TEACHER-CREATED EXEMPLAR
The Mother’s Song
Everyone knows that my life’s joys
Are wrapped up in my good girl and shining son
Little Angie and little Steven
Fulfill my world’s whimsy and want
I toil for long so that they can play
I carry burdens so they may remain
Children for a very long while
Knowing little but the sun and their shine
I want them to learn and discover
But don’t want pain to surrender
To these children, my dears
Oh, how I want to hold them close always
Thus, when my Angie does cry
Or when my Steven does frown
I am cut quickly to my soul
Sad that they are learning the world
While I want my children to laugh
I hope they will soon begin
To see that I sing my life only for them
For my good girl and my shining son.