America was a newly formed country at the dawn of the nineteenth century, and many social issues would be dealt with during this time period. Walt Whitman and Mark Twain were two authors during this era and both authors challenged the views and cultural upbringings that surrounded the nation at that time.
Walt Whitman was born in 1819 to a family with seven siblings. He started work at a printing service when he was just a boy in order to help out his family financially. During his tenure in the printing industry, Whitman began to read and write. He fell in love with the art of writing and would eventually go into editing as a career. Whitman created a new style of poetry called free verse, and at the time American culture would reject this
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Both Whitman and Twain watched as America became consumed by war. Whitman actually spent time in Washington D.C with his brother who had been wounded during the struggle, and this showed him the true face of war and the pain that it brings. The turmoil of the war and all of the issues that caused it are what shaped the writing styles of both authors, yet both authors have different perspectives on America as a whole. For Whitman, America is a place of fellowship. He sympathizes with comradery and truly believes that all are created equally. In the beginning of Song of Myself Whitman says, “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you”. This is Whitman establishing the idea of comradery, which is what he believed to be the center of American culture. Twain’s views on America and those who inhabit it are rather twisted when compared to Whitman. Twain would go out of his way to criticize what he felt was wrong. For example, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Twain criticized the embodiment of slavery (which was a massive social issue after the end of the war). He chose to set this story before the conflict in order to play around with his ideas about racism. He uses the character Jim (who is a runaway slave) as a platform for the discussion on racial controversy. Jim is constantly being hunted and ridiculed thought the book and for while Huck seems to agree with the racist ideals of the surrounding world, and only
Langston Hughes is a writer that has written many beautiful poems that impact people differently. In the poem I, Too by Langston Hughes, he discusses the racial treatment of the african americans, the dream of equality, and how racism treats society. In his writing he uses ethos, repetition, allusion to persuade the audience of his idea of racism in the poem. In both Hughes’ and Twain's writings, they use allusion as their technique, but they also differ in some other techniques. In Hughes’ poem he describes from the point of view of the african american. The African American is treated unequally based on his race when he says “I, too, sing America” (Hughes). The allusion that Hughes makes in his poem is a reference to the poem I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman. This reference to Whitman's poem is about all white Americans living a happy life, but it does not show the african americans perspectives. Hughes’ technique of using allusion in his poem demonstrates the racism through unequal representation. In all of Mark Twain’s different uses of techniques he incorporates the use of allusion in his novel. When Huck and Jim are on the raft they discuss about topics that would pass the time, although Twain uses the technique of allusion to show racism. When the two strike up conversation about King Solomon, Jim argues with Huck that the king was not intelligent because he says “I doan k’yer what de widder say, he warn’t no wise man...he had some er de dad-fetchedes’ ways...does you know ‘bout dat chile dat he ‘uz gwyne chop in two?’(73). Twain’s reference to King Solomon shows Jim’s stubbornness to admit that he could be wrong about the king, it also represents racial stereotypes about african americans being ignorant and stubborn. Though in the conversation between Huck and Jim, Twain strays away from the racial stereotypes by giving Jim an intelligence that most slaves do not have and shows that
“The Convergence of the Twain” is a nonlinear retelling of the Titanic disaster of 1912; however, on a deeper level, the poem explores hubris, downfall, and how fate connects hubris to downfall. Through tone, diction and juxtaposition, the speaker describes the sinking of the Titanic as inevitable and necessary.
Both Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass use many similar narrative techniques in The Boys’ Ambition and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Both Twain and Douglass use formal diction when recounting their personal lives in these narratives. For example, when Twain writes “before these events, the day was glorious with expectancy; after them, the day was a dead and empty thing”, he shows his understanding of high level vocabulary as well as the appropriate usage of a semi-colon (Twain). Douglass also demonstrates his formal diction and educated grammar usage when he writes “I may be deemed superstitious, and even egotistical, in regarding this event as a special interposition of divine Providence in my favor” (Douglass). Another way
Walt Whitman’s early life and childhood had an impact on his works of poetry later in his life. Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, in West Hills, New York. His parents were Walter and Louisa Van Velsor Whitman. At the age of four, Whitman and his family moved to Brooklyn, living in a series of different houses due to bad investments by his parents. Whitman later viewed his childhood as sad and unhappy, because his family frequently moved and they were in a poor financial situation. Throughout most of his childhood, Whitman and his family were in constant financial duress. At the age of eleven, Whitman finished his formal education and started to look for a job. Whitman finished school at such a young age, so he could get a job
Education is a privilege. The knowledge gained through education enables an individual’s potential to be optimally utilized owing to training of the human mind, and enlarge their view over the world. Both “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” by Frederick Douglass himself and “Old Times on the Mississippi” by Mark Twain explore the idea of education. The two autobiographies are extremely different; one was written by a former slave, while the other was written by a white man. Hence, it is to be expected that both men had had different motivations to get an education, and different processes of acquiring education. Their results of education, however, were fairly similar.
also says that each of the wives would tell the king a story and he
Nineteenth century America was full of economic, political and social change. There were many fluctuations of economic prosperity and depression. Land size and population was expanding at an enormous rate. This time in American history was marked with turmoil and chaos as the young nation experienced rapid growth. African Americans dealt with slavery and subsequent freedom. Ex-confederate soldiers had to readjust to a changed society. Women fought for education, political rights and equality. Immigrants flooded the country and fueled industrialism. Native Americans fought a battle to preserve their heritage and culture as they faced white expansion and the loss of vital natural resources. Outside influences shaped the changes that occurred and these Americans responded to the situations of their time.
Literature has played a large role in the way we perceive the world and it can affect the way in which we think about things. Edgar Allan Poe along with Mark Twain are two of the most influential authors that our world has ever seen. Their descriptiveness and diction has had a huge impact on their readers for centuries. Poe’s gothic style of writing was very enthralling and suspenseful; it left you wanting to know what was going to happen next. Whereas, Mark Twain was a very humorous author that intended to amuse all that read. The descriptiveness that was incorporated by these world-renown authors is tremendous.
The lives of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson have many similarities and differences. Here, we will focus on the similarities in their lives in order to bring to attention a correlation between Whitman's poem I Saw in Louisiana a Live-oak Growing and Dickinson's poem # 1510. Both poets wrote during the time of Romanticism, even though Whitman was Dickinson's senior by some eleven years. This however did not influence the way the writing styles of many of their poems coincided.
America was influenced in the antebellum period by many aspects, and authors with their writings were no exception. Henry David Thoreau a famous American writer sparked the ideas of reform and standing up for ones belief through his writings such as Walden, Civil Disobedience, and speeches such as Slavery in Massachusetts. Thoreau started life through education, but still did not conform to who society thought he should be, but rather rose with his idol Ralph Waldo Emerson into transcendentalism and pushed the limits of government. Thoreau was an influential gentleman who stood for what he believed in time and time again and pushed Americans to do the same through his writings and actions.
During the time in American history known as the, several poets began to stray from the traditional methods of writing poetry. Among these poets were Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. While these writer's led drastically different lifestyles and had drastically different styles of writing, the messages they presented through their writing were often surprisingly similar. Whitman's poem "Song of Myself, No.6" and Dickinson's poem "This quiet Dust was Gentlemen and Ladies" are examples of pieces which, on the surface, appear completely different, but in fact contain several similarities. Indeed, several similarities and differences can be found between these two poems.
Walt Whitman was born May 31, 1819 on Long Island. As a child he loved to read Sir Walter Scott (Baym 2076). As an adult he took a major interest in the Democratic party, and "began a political career by speaking at Democratic rallies" (2077). However, he is not remembered for his political action; Americans remember Whitman for his amazing poetry. He was one of the first American poets to write his poetry "without rhyme, in rolling, rhapsodic, metrical, or semi-metrical prose-verse of very irregular lengths" (Rossetti), as one of his contemporary critics noted. This new style was not the only way Whitman broke from the way the traditional poets wrote. As Rossetti described, "He not unfrequently alludes to gross things and in gross words—the clearest, the bluntest, and nearly the least civilly repeatable words which can come uppermost to the lips." Whitman’s refusal to shy away from taboo subjects disgusted and offended many of the people of his day, but Whitman possessed "determination not to yield to censorship or to apologize for his earlier poems" (Baym 2079).
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by the pseudonym Mark Twain, has been central to American literature for over a century. His seemingly effortless diction accurately exemplified America’s southern culture. From his early experiences in journalism to his most famous fictional works, Twain has remained relevant to American writing as well as pop culture. His iconic works are timeless and have given inspiration the youth of America for decades. He distanced himself from formal writing and became one of the most celebrated humorists. Mark Twain’s use of the common vernacular set him apart from authors of his era giving his readers a sense of familiarity and emotional connection to his characters and himself.
Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is a vision of the American spirit, a vision of Whitman himself. It is his cry for democracy, giving each of us a voice through his poetry. Each of us has a voice and desires, and this is Whitman's representation of our voices, the voice of America. America, the great melting pot, was founded for freedom and democracy, and this poem is his way of re-instilling these lost American ideals. In this passage from "Song of Myself" Whitman speaks through his fellow man and speaks for his fellow man when his voice is not socially acceptable to be heard.
The poems written by Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman have numerous differences, For example, the Dickinson’s poems are simple and short while Whitman’s poems are complex and long. Though there are similarities between the writers: one of which is, that both Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are considered today by many to be the founders of modern American poetry. There are other points that we can compare and contrast, so lets get started.