WALT WHITMANPoetic Influences and Themes

SPIRTUALITY Whitman underwent some

sort of spiritual experience in the 1850’s that was transformative to his life

When Whitman referred to spirituality, he was referring to his belief that every human being was part of the One – a concept that reflected transcendentalist influences

EMPHASIS ON THE BODY Whitman saw the human

body as God’s greatest creation

He celebrated the human body and emphasized its goodness, cleanliness, and purity

CELEBRATION AND PRAISE Whitman viewed his poetry as

a celebration of humankind His poetry praises the

American spirit and embraces life

He saw this spirit in the working hands of Americans – the bricklayers, the carpenters, the ditch diggers, the knife sharpeners, etc.

LOVE FOR ALL THINGS GOOD & EVIL Whitman’s poetry explored

and celebrated the goodness of life and evilness of life in equal terms

Whitman’s poetry showed love and compassion equally for those who were good and those who were evil

EQUALITY Whitman was known as a

democratic poet His poetry emphasized the

equality of all humans, including Blacks and women

This was not a commonly held view at the time and caused controversy

THE CATALOG Whitman’s poetry often

cataloged, or listed, a multitude of images or examples

These images and examples were described in great detail

These images and examples were emphasized equally

At times this cataloging/listing would cover multiple pages

SIMULTANEITY OF EVENTS Whitman’s poetry often

expressed chains of related events happening simultaneously (at the same time)

This technique gave his poetry a sense of timelessness

Whitman saw himself standing at the center of time, viewing all events past, present, and future

REPETITION Whitman’s poetry

coupled the literary device of repetition with cataloging and the simultaneity of events

The repetitiveness created a cadence, almost like a religious chant

REPETITION He used a literary device

called anaphora – the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of a line of poetry

He also used a literary device called epistrophe – the repetition of the same word or words at the end of a line of poetry

INTIMACY OF ADDRESS The voice that Whitman

expressed in his poetry was warm, welcoming, and familiar

Whitman wanted the reader to become a part of his poem

SEXUALITY Whitman’s poetry was blunt

and unashamed in its expressions of sexuality

This sexuality extended to both female and male

INDIVIDUALITY Even though Whitman listed

vast numbers of people and occupations, his poetry greatly valued the importance of the individual in a democratic system

THE USE OF “I” Whitman’s poetry is written

from the first person point of view – the “I” view

The first person poetic narrator was rarely found in poetry of Whitman’s day

This form of narration personalized and made intimate his poetry

MIX OF DICTION Whitman’s poetry used the

common language and expressions of the people of his day

Whitman’s poetry also used the poetic diction of an educated scholar

POETRY OF THE CITY Whitman’s poetry was

among the first to explore the vibrancy of city life

Whitman’s poetry reflected the energy below and on the surface of New York City

THE LONG LINE One clear stylistic technique

of Whitman’s poetry was the use of the long line

These long lines of verse rolled over the reader like a never-ending series of ocean waves

from Song of Myself

The married and unmarried children ride home to their Thanksgiving dinner, The pilot seizes the king-pin, he heaves down with a strong arm, The mate stands braced in the whale-boat, lance and harpoon are ready, The duck-shooter walks by silent and cautious stretches, The deacons are ordain'd with cross'd hands at the altar, The spinning-girl retreats and advances to the hum of the big wheel, The farmer stops by the bars as he walks on a First-day loafe and looks at the oats and rye, The lunatic is carried at last to the asylum a confirm'd case, (He will never sleep any more as he did in the cot in his mother's bed-room;) The jour printer with gray head and gaunt jaws works at his case, He turns his quid of tobacco while his eyes blurr with the manuscript; The malform'd limbs are tied to the surgeon's table, What is removed drops horribly in a pail;

THE USE OF THE ELLIPSIS… Whitman often combined

long poetic lines with an ellipsis

This punctuation technique intimated, if possible, that Whitman had left some things unsaid or unlisted

It also allowed the reader a pause to take a breath