A Man for the Cause
The equality of all humans is still a topic that is discussed today in the United States. In the eighteenth century the equality of some humans was a topic that the privileged populace tended to ignore. During this time period a very select group of humans were allocated full rights, this group consisted of white male property owners. Neither women nor African Americans had full rights during this time period. Women would not gain the right to vote until 1920 and the African Americans until 1869, but even then they did not reap the rights that white men possessed(History.com Staff; ACLU Staff) . As you might imagine, white men during the eighteenth century were not keen to distribute equality to those that they thought were below them. Though this did not apply to all white men of the time. A man by the name, Walt Whitman, went against these societal beliefs and desired for an equality for all.
Whitman’s beliefs on human equality are most commonly viewed in his writings, such as Leaves of Grass. His display does not stop there though, he also broadcasted it through his everyday life. Through these outlets he expressed his belief that humans, despite their race, gender and sexuality, were all equal and valuable to the society.
Whitman made many references to women throughout his work and often spoke of them grouped together with males. During the eighteenth century women had limited rights. After marriage woman could not own property, sign a contract, or even keep the money they earned. All of those rights were given to their husbands (National Women’s History Museum). Despite living in this time period, Whitman did not believe these societal norms.
During Whitman’s beginning years as a poet he met many writ...
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Women had not only been denied the voting rights and the lack of education before the nineteenth century, they had also been restricted the right to own property. Women who were married were basically owned by their husbands, up until the mid nineteenth century, so they had no regulations with money or their property (Hermes 1). If you were unmarried, however, you were allowed to be owner of property, but when they married the women became property of the man (Talbott 1). As stated previously before, women who were not married were allowed to vote as well as hold property, but a small amount of women did. Marriage was a disadvantage for the women, because they lost most of the rights they had previously. They were not allowed to buy or sell property (Erickson 1).
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In the nation, women make up approximately fifty percent of the population. Due to their sex, they are unable to obtain the same goals that are provided to men in Thomas Jefferson 's declaration. One notable difference between men and women is physiology. Nevertheless, Mary Wollstonecraft in the Vindication of the Rights of Woman states that both sexes were created equally by God (Wollstonecraft 45). Wollstonecraft’s argument is that rights should not be beneficial for one sex, but for all sexes since God created humans. Though there are slight differences between the two, women should have the rights as men, especially since they coexist together in society. In the "Declaration of Sentiments," Elizabeth Cady Stanton writes that women do not possess the right to property, right to vote or the right to formal education. In addition, the standards on which women are judged upon is harsher for women in the relationship between husband and wife. Cady Stanton relays, “In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming, to all intents and purposes, her master—the law giving him power to deprive
Walt Whitman is one of America’s most popular and most influential poets. The first edition of Whitman’s well-known Leaves of Grass first appeared in July of the poet’s thirty-sixth year. A subsequent edition of Leaves of Grass (of which there were many) incorporated a collection of Whitman’s poems that had been offered readers in 1865. The sequence added for the 1867 edition was Drum-Taps, which poetically recounts the author’s experiences of the American Civil War.
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Whitman’s poem was written in the mid-1800s during the industrial revolution, but Hughes’ poem was written in the 1900s during the Civil Rights Movement. This is important because the Civil Rights Movement established the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Industrial Revolution moved at a slow place but there were still issues with slavery. Whitman’s poem was free verse while Hughes’ poem was traditional rhyme/rhythm. The tone of Whitman’s poem was patriotic and celebratory (I HEAR America singing, the varied carols I hear); because he was paying tribute to the success of the individuals; however, the tone of Hughes’ poem was sarcastic and frustrated (to build a “homeland of the free,’’ because he didn’t feel like some individuals were allowed to experience the American Dream. Whitman’s theme of his poem was that individuals and liberties make America great. On the other hand, Hughes’ theme of his poem expressed that individuals felt excluded from the “homeland of the free.” The purpose of Whitman’s poem is praise for universal brotherhood. However, Hughes’ poem’s purpose was to inform individuals about inequality, meaning that not everyone has the same liberties in America. Whitman’s poem focused on the jobs of the workers, while Hughes’ poem focused on race, social status, and a list to represent the “I am’’ phrase; (I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars). He also
Whitman 's various examples seem to be meant to cover many professions and both genders. The lines of Whitman 's poem are long and full of
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Women today are still viewed as naturally inferior to men, despite the considerable progress done to close this gap. Females have made a huge difference in their standing from 200 years ago. Whether anyone is sexist or not, females have made considerable progress from where they started, but there is still a long journey ahead. Mary Wollstonecraft was an advocate of women 's rights, a philosopher, and an English writer. One of Wollstonecraft’s best works was “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” (1792). In her writing, she talks about how both men and women should be treated equal, and reasoning could create a social order between the two. In chapter nine of this novel, called “Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society,”
Stedman, Edmund Clarence. "An Important American Critic Views Whitman." Critical Essays on Walt Whitman. Ed. James Woodress. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1983. 116-127.
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.
Walt Whitman is arguably America’s most influential poet in history. Born Walter Whitman in May 31st, 1819 to Walter Whitman and Louisa van Velsor, he was immediately nicknamed ‘Walt’ to distinguish him from his father. He came to life in West Hills on the famous Long Island, the second of nine children that grew up in Brooklyn. He came to be fondly known as ‘the Bard of Democracy’, mainly because that was a main message in his work. He is also celebrated as ‘the father of the free verse’. He was a liberal thinker and was vehemently against slavery, although later on he was against the abolitionists because, according to him, they were anti-democracy. He managed to marry transcendentalism with realism in his works. His occupation was a printer school teacher and editor.