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Short essay on walt whitman's poetry
Short essay on walt whitman's poetry
Short essay on walt whitman's poetry
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Walt Whitman wrote many great poems, yet while I read through a list of poems to analyze, one of his most popular poems caught my eye. “O Captain! My Captain!” has so many hidden meanings, as well as sentence structure and imagery. This twenty-four line piece of literary art has made its mark on history by describing the feeling of losing a friend, as well as a leader. This work is a great poem to expose readers to exploring the depths of the words written to interpret the hidden messages among them. The true meaning behind this poem was for Whitman to express his admiration for President Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated twenty-one years before it was written. Whitman wanted to pay tribute by creating an ode to the late President. After …show more content…
The ship is quite weathered, but she has pulled through the rough weather. This means that even though the ship was battered, the Captain kept his crew together in rough circumstances. In lines three and four, the people are cheering for the captain who somewhat gave his life to keep America together. In line five the repetition of “heart” shows a crew member’s deep sorrow that a man he admired is now dead on the deck. The following quote from the poem solidifies the assumption that the Captain has perished: “O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead” …show more content…
Although the Captain is gone, the crew and ship are safe, so the Captain did, in fact, do what he was tasked with doing. Yet again, in the last three lines, the crew member, while in a celebratory parade into port still remembers that his fallen captain is still lying on the deck. Now that I think about it another potential meaning behind this poem could be that Whitman is trying to show that there is no absolute victory in a war. In every war, each side loses in a way. That really can put life into perspective; no matter how great the victory there is always going to be losses in any struggle. Maybe that “Captain” is just an intangible idea like for example the morality of a person. For example, imagine if a thief stole a purse, then he should technically lose some morality if there is a celestial
The way he writes the poem shows how he was in love with the president on how Lincoln conducted himself during the war. He refers to Lincoln as the captain of the ship which is the Union, throughout the poem he begins to call out to the Captain acting like the president was never shot. Through this all, it seems like Whitman could never bring himself to acknowledge the assassination of the late president. He also wrote it as a way to express the grief of losing the beloved commander and chief, and also explain to the American people how Booth killed the man who helped bring the Union together once again. However, he makes the metaphor in this poem explain why he would have wrote it, it shows that through an imaginary situation that things begin to seem alright in the world. Finally, Whitman deals with the pain through the metaphor to cover up the hurt America feels even if he despised the poem later on in
Walt Whitman was a revolutionary poet who let his emotions run free through his poetry. Whitman was never afraid to express himself no matter how inappropriate or offensive his emotions might have seemed at the time. This is why Whitman's poem still echo that same sentiment and emotion today almost as loudly as when the drums were first tapped.
In this line, the reader is introduced to the horrors woman went through back in the day. From, them being disrespected or physically abused, woman had tough roles to play in society. On lines three and four the speaker shows the reader an act of violence it says, “I see a wife misused by her husband, I see the treacherous seducer of young women. (Whitman 23). This is where the author revels to the reader that woman are not well respected and that domestic abuse is an everyday norm. Not to mention, young women seducing married men, describing the effects of lusting for someone and being misused by their husbands. In this particular part of the poem Walt Whitman uses personification when he says, “I see the workings of battle, pestilence, tranny, I see martyrs and prisoners.” (Whitman 23). This is personification because he is giving a human ability to something that is not alive. Lastly, in line seven, when the speaker talks about famine and disease and sailors giving their lives to save others. We see some compassion even through the ugliness, people dying because they don’t have any clean water or the right medicine. Soldiers coming back from the war, traumatized by what they have seen. Images we keep in our heads to remind us of what not to be. We grow up with the best intentions just to realize we are all fighting wars
“Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you. You must travel it by yourself. It is not far. It is within reach. Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know. Perhaps it is everywhere” (Whitman 33) is Walt Whitman’s first and one of his most popular works, Leaves of Grass. It was and still is very inspirational to many people including Ralph Waldo and many others after him. He had a major influence on modern free verse. Following a hard childhood in and around New York, Walter Whitman was well known and received in his time for Leaves of Grass which did not use the universal theme, which he became known for in the eighteenth century as well as his way of seeing the world in a view that very few could comprehend in his time.
Whitman establishes a direct connection between the lyrical and the reader to get to each one of us. The power that the poem has and having Whitman writing it, rests on the ability of the author to separate himself amongst thousands, almost as a wonderful schizophrenia which allows you to view the world from certain points of view and understand it better than anyone.
My Captain! and it was published in 1891. This poem is about a man whose captain or ‘father figure’ has fallen dead without warning. They’ve been through alot together and they finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and just when he thinks the bad things are over, it gets worse. Many people relate this poem to Walt’s feelings towards Abraham Lincoln. He was a father figure to the country when the country was going through a hard time by attempting to abolish slavery. They were finally reaching the end of the fight and were so close to having it over and suddenly the healthy Abraham Lincoln drops dead due to being shot. It was unexpected and it shook the nation. This poem is considered an elegy, also known as a mourning poem. This also helps support the idea that he wrote the poem while mourning the death of Abraham Lincoln. The whole poem takes place on the deck of a ship as the ship is approaching the port of their home town. The narrator hears the celebrating people ashore and he hears bells ringing in celebration of their return when suddenly he sees his captain fall dead. The narrator is obviously upset by this and he cries out to his captain to 'rise up and hear the bells ' and to see the flag that has been flown for him. He wishes for his captain to celebrate with them but he cannot because he has ‘fallen cold and dead’. The poet uses metaphors, repetition, apostrophe, and rhythm in this poem. An example of the metaphor would be when Whitman writes ‘the prize we sought is won’ meaning that the outcome that Lincoln and his followers were fighting for with slavery has been achieved and they have what they wanted. An example of how Walt uses repetition when he starts each stanza with ‘Oh Captain! My Captain!’ and when he ends each stanza with ‘fallen cold and dead’. The rhyme scheme for this poem is aabb xcxc, and even though there isn 't a fixed meter there is a pattern of four long lines followed by four shorter lines
Walt Whitman's seventh poem in his work, Leaves of Grass, displays the subtlety with which the poet is able to manipulate the reader's emotions. In this poem there are no particular emotional images, but the overall image painted by word choice and use of sounds is quite profound. This poem, like many others written by Walt Whitman, is somewhat somber in mood, but not morose. It is serious, but not to the point of gloom. Whitman writes concerning the general idea that everything is merged together and is one. One cannot die without being born, just as one cannot be a mother without first having one. The purpose of the poem is to show those things that are real are true and holy, and even more importantly unified. In this poem he is speaking as some sort of omnipotent being, perhaps God or a soul.
Whitman overall is expressing that the individual in the poem and “you” the reader are equal, so he is showing equality. Equality
Whitman is giving a more graphic example of how sex is a natural thing. By comparing the act of reproduction to death he shows just how natural of an act sex is. Everything that is born will eventually die. He feels that the natural curiosities of the human sexual appetites should not be denied or not discussed because of social standards. Not only is sex a "miracle" that is a part of him, but also nature and the universe, and each individual part should be celebrated.
While the poem can be termed to be democratic, both in subject matter and its language, Whitman is viewed to be cataloging the ‘new’ America that he is seeing around him. The poem includes subject matter such as relationships, patriotism, heroes, family and ancestors, and a view on social commentaries too.
After the First Battle of Manassas, the Union suffered its first lost of the Civil War. Whitman wrote this poem to try and recruit young men to come out and fight for the Union. In “Beat! Beat! Drums!” Whitman explained that the men should come to the army no matter what was in their way “Make no parley – stop for no expostulation!” (16). In this quote, one can see that Whitman wanted soldiers to not mind what anyone said to them about fighting in the army, and that it was ultimately the right choice for them to fight. “Let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties” (19). Whitman wanted the soldiers to think that they made the right choice to come out and support the arm...
Walt Whitman was a 19th century American poet who changed the rules for writing poetry. He is one of my favorite poets because he was bold enough to openly talk about sexuality and same sex couples in his works during a time where such things were looked down upon and even banned. He also aided the nation to understand and face the grief they felt after the loss of a respectable and loved authority figure. With O Captain My Captain, Walt Whitman captures the contrasting duality of the times; both triumphant and mournful in nature. Of all of his colorful, imaginative poems this one in particular resonates with me because the poet's heartbreak is so real and apparent in the poem's somber and pleading tone.
The poem has set a certain theme and tone but no definite rhyme. In this poem, the poet explores into a thought of the self, the all-encompassing "I," sexuality, democracy, the human body, and what it means to live in the modern world. He addresses that the human body is sacred and every individual human is divine. Hence, Whitman was known for writing poems about individualism, democracy, nature, and war.
After the assassination of Whitmans beloved President Lincoln, another book of poetry was added to “Leaves of Grass.” “Memories of President Lincoln” contains the ever famous “Oh Captain! My Captain!”
Walt Whitman lived during the time of the American Civil War and knew people who were part of the American Revolution. He lived in a time when slavery and the rights of African Americans were top issues. He opposed slavery and he wrote poems about the importance of America and in fighting for what is right. He admired Abraham Lincoln and wrote the poem “O Captain! My Captain!” to honor Abraham Lincoln. This poem became one of his most famous literary works.