WALT WHITMAN

American Poet, Essayist, Journalist,

And Humanist

Walt Whitman

Short Summary of Whitman

Born on May 31st, 1819, in Long Island, New York

Son of a Quaker carpenter Most famous for his poem “Leaves of

Grass” Had a questionable sexuality :o Worked as a printer a lot Worked in the army during the Civil War Whitman died on March 26, 1892 of old

age.

He wrote a lot about what he felt such as:

Alcohol drinking being wrong

Accepting all religions (Deism)

His sexuality (homosexual)

Opposing slavery

Abolitionism, in which he believed the movement did more harm than good

His Life’s Work

Leaves of Grass

Influenced by the transcendentalists. The title was a pun. Grass was the same

as a writers minor value work, and leaves was the same as cheap paper.

This poem was a group of poems put into one book, holding many of his most famous works.

He talks about nature and humans in it (Romanticism).

Song Of Myself Analysis

Too long to put on this slide There seems to be a strong

Transcendentalist influence on the poem. He wrote about everyday life, in a

romanticism way. A combination of biography, sermon, and

poetic meditation.

Example of his work

Oh Captain My Captain O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won,The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;But O heart! heart! heart!O the bleeding drops of red,Where on the deck my Captain lies,Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;Rise up--for you the flag is flung--for you the bugle trills,For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths--for you the shores a-crowding,For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;Here Captain! dear father!This arm beneath your head!It is some dream that on the deck,You've fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;Exult O shores, and ring O bells!But I, with mournful tread,Walk the deck my Captain lies,Fallen cold and dead.

Analysis

This poem symbolizes the Civil War and Lincoln himself, and how the people really were proud of him for leading them to victory.

When the ship has weathered every rack, it represents how many were killed, and in order to claim freedom, you have to make sacrifices, o the bleeding drops of red, where on the deck my captain lies, fallen cold and dead.

The poem also shows a great sense of irony. In the sense, that there were such a great amount of sacrifices that not only Lincoln made to unite the country but also the country within its own self. And to finalize it, Lincoln made his greatest Sacrifice...himself.

Walt Whitman

Claimed as America's “poet of democracy”

He reflected the spirit of individualism, which carries on until today

His work was based mostly on natural simple things, influencing romanticism on America.

cont…

He used unusual images and symbols in his poetry including rotting leaves, tufts of straw, and debris.

He also openly wrote about death and sexuality, including prostitution.

He is often labeled as the “father of free verse”.

Basically made poetry unrestrained, allowing free speech.

Walt Whitman was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2009.

Sources:

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Whitman

Google Images http://classiclit.about.com/cs/profileswrite

rs/p/aa_wwhitmanbio.htm http://www.eliteskills.com/analysis_poetry

/O_Captain_My_Captain_by_Walt_Whitman_analysis.php