Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson: Pioneers of American Poetry

Walt Whitman: The Poet of America

He was known as the city’s poet. Whitman moved to Washington D.C. to be closer to the conflict of the Civil War, where he notably helped in the hospitals.

Leaves of Grass (1855)

• Published in 1855, this work went through 9 editions during his lifetime.
• Whitman continuously added and changed poems, dying without finishing the collection.

Symbolism in the Title

The title itself holds significant meaning:

• Grass: Represents the micro-level (journalist jargon for small, discarded writings) and the little things that were not considered news. Whitman rescues these ideas.
• Leaves: Represents the macro-level.
• The title signifies the unity of multitude, relating nature and literature.

Poetic Innovation: Free Verse

Whitman is credited with inventing free verse, characterized by:

• Not regulated by traditional meter or rhyme.
• Use of repetitions and parallel structure (e.g., anaphora).
• Emphasis on sounds and unique punctuation, especially dashes, which signify meaningful silences.
• Goal: To create a coherent, organic structure.

The American Voice and Identity

Whitman established a distinct American voice. He was one of the poets of the common people, understanding and celebrating them. He was an ordinary guy from the working class who happened to write poetry, emphasizing self-education since he did not attend university.

Key Themes in Whitman's Poetry

• Individualism (The Self): Celebration of uniqueness and originality.
• Body and Soul: Religious experience is not only spiritual but also material. He introduced sexuality in poetry (including homosexual themes).
• Community: The self is part of the community and others; the poet acts as a multitude.
• Democracy: He celebrated the nation, viewing democracy as a union of the people—the “we”—and celebrating difference. This was the first political revolution of the modern age.

Tone and Reader Participation

Whitman makes the reader a direct participant in the poem, treating them as an equal. His tone is generally positive, optimistic, filled with energy, hope, and faith, believing humanity will overcome destructive impulses. However, after the Civil War, his poetry became sadder, though he still sought positive elements.

Emily Dickinson: The Hermetic Poet

Dickinson is known as a hermetic poet. Her poems, often collected posthumously in The Fascicles (published fully in 1998), are like puzzles—ambiguous and open enough for interpretation. She developed an inner world, creating her own radical connection to the universe.

Biography and Education

• Her family had money. She had an older brother and a younger sister.
• She did not finish school, relying on self-education, often aided by her father.

Publication and Philosophy

Dickinson wrote to Ralph Waldo Emerson and composed over 2,000 poems, yet she only published 12 poems during her lifetime. She famously stated that publication was the “auction of the mind.”

Personal Crisis and Radical Verse

Around age 30, she experienced a mental breakdown. Theories suggest this followed the loss of two very dear friends. Subsequently, her poems became more blasphemous and offensive to God. Her ideas were considered too inappropriate for a woman of her time.

She was an eccentric person who ignored the outside world but meticulously maintained the world that was inside her.

Posthumous Discovery and Style

After her death, her sister went to her best friend (Susan, who was also a publisher and possibly Emily’s secret lover, evidenced by many love letters and poems) to choose which poems to publish.

Dickinson's Innovative Style

Her style is mysterious, short, and minimalistic. Early editors often changed her words due to their brevity and unconventional nature. Key characteristics include:

• Short poems with few stanzas.
• Representation of her inner world.
• Use of alliterations.
• Frequent use of words associated with the church, while simultaneously breaking with religious rules to convey specific ideas through poetry.

Major Themes

Dickinson was deeply intrigued by existential questions:

• Love
• Death and Birth: What happens after death?
• Resurrection and Immortality
• Nature: Often used as a metaphor for life.