Walt Whitman
(stop at 6:50)
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Influence of Emerson
• Drew upon ideas from Emerson
– American Individualism; intuitive faith; spiritual
potential; belief and trust in democracy and common
people
• Whitman was, as he later said, “simmering,” and
Emerson’s ideas brought him to a “boil”
• A man that speaks for himself speaks for us all
– “I celebrate myself, And what I assume you shall
assume…”
His poetry
• Whitman argued poetry must embrace every
aspect of life
• Celebrated and criticized post war age
– Valuable expression of American nationalism
– Deplorable materialism that corrupts democratic
values
• Language of his poetry was vivid and confusing
with its rapid shifts from abstractions to personal
revelations
• Voice of poetry was democratic---individuals
speak out freely and directly to the audience
• “New” poetry
– Discarded traditional form and structure
(favored free verse)
• Emphasizes all of the senses, especially
touch
Leaves of Grass
• On-going collection of poems
throughout Whitman’s life
• 1855 originally published; expanded
edition in 1856
• Some of the new poems reflected his
experiences caring for wounded
soldiers and his reaction to the
assassination of Lincoln
How do Romantic writers
reconcile individual freedom
with social responsibility?
• Emerson rejected society
• Melville questioned individualism
• Whitman encompasses self & mass in a
universal love
“Song of Myself”
• What are 4 themes (one from each
selection) that illustrate transcendental
influences?
• Pg. 353 (4, 6, 7, 8)
“One’s-Self I Sing”
• What distinction does Whitman make in
the 2nd stanza between physiology and
physiognomy?
• Who is Modern Man?
• Is this still true today or different in some
way?
“I Hear America Singing”
• Listen to “40 Hour Week” by Alabama
• What is the tone of this poem?
• What theme is being reinforced here?
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“When I Heard the Learn’d
Astronomer”
• This poem reinforces an idea from
Thoreau (and Emerson too).
– What is it?
Whitman’s War Poems
Whitman was an ardent abolitionist and a
strong believer in the Union cause. When
war came, he recognized it as a national
tragedy that would soon outstrip the partisan
aims of either side and would leave no
aspect of life unscathed.
• “Beat! Beat! Drums!”
• “A March in the Ranks Hard-Prest, and the
Road Unknown”
• “Reconciliation”
“Beat! Beat! Drums!”
What is Whitman’s attitude about the Civil War? Cite words,
phrases, and lines
How do the first lines of each stanza contrast with those that
follow them? (Structure of the words)---pg 360 (2,3)
“A March in the Ranks Hard-Prest,
and the Road Unknown”
Reaction/Reflection
• Does this poem
apply to war today?
The entire poem?
Only sections?
Consider the
symbolism of the
last line.
• Pg 360 (1,2)
“Reconciliation”
• To Whitman, is reconciliation possible or even
necessary? Cite lines.
• Is this possible in wartime today?
• What must man recognize once war is over?
• What does this poem suggest about unity,
Whitman’s overall theme?