Disparate Objects in Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass
analytical Essay
598 words
Reconciling Disparate Objects in Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman begins this excerpt from Leaves of Grass by describing an elusive 'this': "This is the meal pleasantly set . . . . this is the meat and drink for natural hunger." These two clauses that are set next to each other describe 'this' as very different things. "A meal pleasantly set," evokes a quiet table in a genteel household. In contrast, "the meat and drink for natural hunger," recalls a more rugged table at which the food will be consumed after strenuous activity. How can one thing--'this'--have such opposing properties? The entire excerpt is defined by the outward contradictions such as this one. Whitman's poetic rhetoric, however, attempts to create an internal unity from the contradictions. By unifying things that seem diametrically opposed Whitman emphasizes the possibility for reconciliation between disparate objects. Whitman places two contrasting ideas next to each other at all levels of the excerpt. The most prominent level at which he does this is in the images, as in the first line. H...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how whitman places two contrasting ideas next to each other at all levels of the excerpt.
- Analyzes how whitman's famous catalogues are the first step in creating unity by placing disparate things next to each other and recognizing no difference.
- Analyzes how whitman demonstrates how to view contrasts, and forces the reader into believing that "there shall be no difference between them and the rest."
- Analyzes how whitman's poetic rhetoric attempts to create an internal unity from the contradictions.
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- Walt Whitman's Song of Myselfanalytical essayWalt Whitman's Song of Myself This paper deals with Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" in relation to Julia Kristeva's theories of abjection--my paper does not point to abjection in the text, but rather the significance of the abscence of abjection. This abscence, looming and revolting, arises from Whitman's attemt to refigure a conception of sublimity which delimits the material which can trigger the sublime moment. Whitman's democracy of the sublime is inclusive of those figures on the American landscape, their lives and voices, which are functionalized into his world. This paper employs the theories of George Lukacs and Julia Kristeva allow the unearthing of the archeological layers of Whitman's text.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how they are bent over the keyhole and hear a footstep. they shudder as shame sweeps over them.
- Analyzes how whitman's meticulous catalogue of voices identifies those voices for which he serves as "medium"; some are peripheral, forbidden, or diseas'd.
- Analyzes whitman's project of questioning societal norms which have buried these "hidden" voices and excluded them from the democratic polyphony of america.
- Analyzes kristeva's complex (theory) of abjection, for the purposes of their discussion, from three perspectives: the relationship of the abject and the sublime.
- Analyzes how whitman's transgression on what material can be used provokes, or potentializes abjection in song and myself.
- Analyzes how the space of the woman, as seen through the window frame, is her refuge; her desire, her imagined swimming, and movement of hand occur unfettered after having escaped from the room.
- Opines that they are no prouder than the level by which they plant their house.
- Analyzes how discourse is tenable only if it ceaselessly confronts the otherness, a deep well of memory that is unapproachable and intimate.
- Analyzes the significance of the abscence of abjection in walt whitman's "song of myself" and the theories of george lukacs and julia kristeva.
- Analyzes the edification of eakin's whitman through the construction of an inversive space which refigures his sublime utopian vision.
- Analyzes grosz's 'intolerable ambiguity', wherein horror is the simultaneous response of horror and fascination. the reader returns to the safe-guard of "i-not-that."
- Analyzes how the dramatization with the unknown, terror and ecstasy reached by whitman in the act of naming and discovering, is a second instance of this duality.
- Analyzes how the first three stanzas and the kristevan abjection of the self are starkly consonant. the grappling that leads inward in chase of that which is without name is dramatized in this section.
- Analyzes how the consonance is ruptured by the last stanza where the unknown, ambiguous form inside of whitman is turned into ecstatic sublimity.
3626 wordsRead More - Meaning and Texture of the Seventh Poem in Leaves of Grassanalytical essayThe tone or mood of the poem is delivered in the first stanza of the poem. He delves directly into birth and death, a sure sign that this poem will be no light reading. However, he uses a question to set the stage of the poem when he says, "Has anyone supposed it lucky to be born?" Questions are effective attention grabbers, but even more effective is Whitman's answer to the question. He produces an unorthodox response to the question, posing the answer that it is just as lucky to die. By giving such an odd answer to the question, he sets the stage for the rest of the poem presenting ideas not necessarily considered orthodox. The whole poem revolves around the idea that things must constantly be looked at from other viewpoints, and this initial stanza serves to illustrate this point well.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how walt whitman's seventh poem, leaves of grass, displays subtlety with which he manipulates the reader’s emotions.
- Analyzes how whitman uses a question to set the stage for the rest of the poem presenting ideas not necessarily considered orthodox.
- Analyzes how whitman uses effective technique in the format of the poem to allow the reader to more easily picture this intersection of all things.
- Analyzes how the poet uses strong adjectives to illustrate his point of universal unity.
- Analyzes how whitman's manipulation of words portrays an optimistic, positive view, not a negative one.
- Analyzes how whitman's structural brilliance shines through in his seventh poem, which emphasizes the fundamental idea of nature.
815 wordsRead More - The Frontispiece In Walt Whitman's Workanalytical essayA cold stare, and a hand on his hip, is how Walt Whitman introduced himself to his readers in 1855. The style of Whitman’s frontispiece was uncommon for its time, a man with a loose collar and a worn hat would have been found more commonly on a farm than adorning a literary scholar in the mid-nineteenth century. Whitman wanted to show that he was no better than anyone who would read his poetry. Whitman conveyed himself to his audience by showing himself as an everyday workingman; his wrinkled shirt shows that he is use to working hard for everything that he has. The stare he gives back to his audience looks as if he is examining the reader the same way they may be examining him or his work.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how walt whitman introduced himself to his readers in 1855 with a cold stare and hand on his hip. the style of his frontispiece was uncommon for its time.
- Analyzes how whitman's strength challenges the stereotypes of who and what he was, even today, when examining the meaning of his poetry.
- Analyzes how whitman's frontispiece was meant to communicate the message that his hat was out of place for a man educated to the level that he was.
- Analyzes how margaret fuller chose to use a unique frontispiece, which left contemporaries scratching their heads. the portrait of emily plater shows noble qualities miring images that bring to mind powerful monarchs.
- Explains that margret fuller was drawn to plater and her experiences because she represented a strong woman in male dominated world.
- Analyzes how fuller, a transcendentalist, thought women would be able to transform themselves into ideal citizens who deserved respect from everyone.
- Analyzes how whitman and fuller were trying to change the statues quoi of what it meant to be a writer in the mid-nineteenth century.
1082 wordsRead More - Walt Whitman Biographyanalytical essayThe seemingly autobiographical nature of this piece instantly calls for observation. The speaker is an older Whitman, advanced and experienced. The poem is a remembrance of his childhood from afar. This gives Whitman the opportunity to distance him...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how walt whitman's poem "out of the cradle endlessly rocking" is a documentation of his own paradigm shift.
- Analyzes how nature is not the sole source of dramatic symbolism in the piece, but the actions of the characters reflect its definite goals.
- Analyzes how the autobiographical nature of the poem calls for observation. the speaker is an older whitman, advanced and experienced.
- Analyzes how the structure of time changes throughout the poem, but is consistent. the first stanza is mostly in the present tense as the advanced whitman summarizes the events before he tells of them.
- Narrates the memories of the bird that chanted to them, from the fitful risings and falling i heard from under that yellow half-moon late-risen and swollen as if with tears, from the thousand responses of their heart never to cease.
- Analyzes how whitman speaks of the emotions distilled in him by the bird’s song and the environmental setting of his piece, and mentions all the words forced upon him upon his epiphany.
- Analyzes how whitman's he-bird longs for the lost love of his mate.
- Analyzes how the he-bird calls for nature to return his love to him by any means necessary. whitman recognizes this and begins the process of slowly learning the truths of the world.
- Analyzes how the he-bird is tormented by his loss, and feels the physical forms of nature are pitted against him. the third element to the "trio" is the speaker, who is broken into two categories.
- Explains that the symbolism of elements in this piece falls into two categories: night and day, sun and moon, land and sea, life and death, and love and loss.
- Analyzes how the poem's introduction to the love of the birds gives us a feeling of strength and beauty which is later traded, in the latter parts, for an bleaker description.
- Explains that the yellow half-moon is a lonesome love deprived of its object with seemingly only the world to blame.
- Analyzes how miller's conclusion shows how whitman takes the parts, separates them, then combines them as a whole. nature is the beginning and end of self-progression.
- Analyzes how the boy's soul senses a change and ponders over the bird/nature’s intent.
- Analyzes how the speaker points toward the sea, the physical and spiritual meeting point of sea and land, based on miller's theory.
- Analyzes how the repetition of the beating waves is onomatopoeic. each wave is an answer to his question and his purpose. the beauty is in truth and understanding.
- Explains that the bird is a demon in that he has forced the speaker to change, and any drastic life shaking change results in feelings of uncertainty and discomfort.
- Explains that life and death are not the bookends to our existence, but points in an endless cycle.
1960 wordsRead More - Walt Whitman's Poem 'When I Heard The Learn' D Astronomeranalytical essayWhitman demonstrates the persuasive, powerful interest in rationalism that overwhelms society. The anaphora of "when" used for four consecutive lines in the first stanza stresses the monotony of this philosophy. In a more subtle sense, it suggests the ubiquitous multitudes that follow it. "Learn'd" and "applause in the lecture room" describe the lecturer's positive reputation and approval from the audience. "Ranged in columns before" the narrator, the information "shown", and "sitting...where
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how walt whitman's poem "when i heard the learned astronomer" calls for a revival of romanticism in an increasingly rationalistic environment.
- Analyzes how whitman demonstrates the persuasive, powerful interest in rationalism that overwhelms society. the anaphora of "when" in the first stanza stresses the monotony of this philosophy.
- Analyzes how the poet displays the beauty of romanticism as a formidable opponent to rationalism. "mystical moist night-air", "till rising and gliding" and "look'd up in perfect silence at the stars" catch the reader's attention with melodious, poetic fluency.
- Explains that walt whitman never judges accusatively or notions that one philosophy replaces the other. the period placed at the end of the poetic sentence serves to show satisfaction and completeness with romanticism.
270 wordsRead More - In addition, the religious context throughout the poem is underscored by diction with emphasized self-determined faith. The phrases “I advance from the people in their own spirit,” “here is what sings unrestricted faith,” and “I make the poem of evil also” suggest that religion, or more accurately spirituality, is defined by personal actions, both good and evil. By not explicitly discussing religion, Whitman deems faith a personal choice--but spirituality a necessity. Togethe...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how whitman develops an archetype of "the credulous man," whose purpose is to represent the personal spirit that leads one to unrestricted faith.
- Analyzes how cummings employs unconventional formal features, including improper syntax, along with descriptive diction, to reveal how deeply love has affected the narrator.
- Compares ginsberg's beat adaptation of a traditional bash haiku with the traditional conventions of japanese poetry, which aimed to detach poetry from the self.
- Explains that great poetry has the power to deeply connect to and affect an audience regardless of subject or context. turner's war poetry effectively re-made the world by providing hope that the violence can end.
1681 wordsRead More - What Are Years: Moore's Cohesive Contradictionanalytical essayThe poem is delightfully accessible in its directness, yet is balanced with the rich similes in the last two stanzas. The images of the bird and the ocean serve as illustrations of the speaker’s main point, placed in the middle of the poem, in the second stanza: “He / sees deep and is glad, who / accedes to mortality…“ (10-12). This is the keystone of the poem, that which blends the first stanza with the last. Even the math seems to work out. There are three stanzas, the first being different in approach than the third, and the second stanza has half of each technique—three stanzas divided by two approaches, equals one and a half, the length given to question/directness and imagery/simile. ...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how marianne moore's poem, "what are years," is a reflection on the human condition presented as an paradox with modernist overtones.
- Analyzes how the poem is delightfully accessible in its directness, yet balanced with the rich similes in the last two stanzas.
- Analyzes how moore uses the rhyme scheme to accentuate the motif of paradox by having two distinct sets of full rhymes in each stanza.
- Analyzes how the speaker ironically focuses on courage after the global audience's inevitable doom is established.
- Argues that we need courage to "accede to mortality." the speaker suggests using the sea as an illustration.
- Analyzes how the last metaphor is a variation of the first, but adds another detail to the lesson, that our captive souls can feel joy.
- Analyzes how moore's title is a prompt, calling attention to the block of time with which we measure how long we have lived and how we should live knowing we will die.
932 wordsRead More - The Beauty of Walt Whitman's When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomeranalytical essayThe Beauty of Walt Whitman's When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer My father is an amateur astronomer. It is his passion, after he comes home from work at the office, to wait outside in the fields surrounding our house with his 10" LX200 F6.3 telescope until all hours of the morning, waiting for the perfect shot of galaxies like NGC 7479 or M16. The next evening at dinner, despite being awake for over thirty hours, he speaks non-stop about how he finally got the perfect shot after five hours of painstaking positioning, how the galaxy, the nebula, the distant moon or dying star existed, or how it was turning back into scattered atoms leaving only a purplish ring of dust to prove it was ever there. A few weeks ago, an article in the local newspaper was written about him, promoting his first lecture on astronomy which was to take place in the public library.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the speaker's view of the lecture diverges from his peers, and he becomes mentally separated from them. the word sitting invokes a feeling of indifference, bordering on disrespect.
- Analyzes how whitman's first half is constructed of four adverbial clauses, all leading somewhere, building anticipation, but what culminates from them is quite unexpected.
- Analyzes how whitman's poem reaches a turning point, and the syntax and style change alongside the attitude of the poem.
- Analyzes how whitman's words are deliberately chosen to set up different contrasts within these two halves: the first half ends in "much applause" and the second half exhibits a certain element of truth by taking place outside, among nature.
- Opines that walt whitman's poem is not merely discussing the nature of the stars; he is using them to make a statement about poetry itself.
- Analyzes walt whitman's "when i heard the learned astronomer" in the norton anthology of poetry.
- Narrates how they heard the astronomer lecture with applause in the lecture-room.
- Narrates how their father, an amateur astronomer, waits for the perfect shot of galaxies like ngc 7479 or m16, and talks non-stop about how he got it after five hours of painstaking positioning.
- Analyzes how the poem is divided into two distinct halves, contextually and structurally, but unified by the fact that it is only one sentence.
2254 wordsRead More - Whitman's Characterization Of The USanalytical essayWithin the first paragraph, Whitman addresses America’s need to move on and learning from its pass, but never forgetting it, so that the nation can become stronger. The quote, “The corpse is slow borne from the eating and sleeping rooms of the house,”means that old habits die hard and it is okay for beauty to be viewed
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes whitman's characterization of the u.s. as a melting pot of many different countries, cultures, and religions.
- Analyzes how whitman addresses america's need to move on and learn from its pass, but never forget it, so that the nation can become stronger.
- Analyzes how whitman's quote, "a teeming nation of nations," supports his idea that america is full of diverse energy, as if it were made up of several countries.
- Explains that whitman believes that america welcomes new ideas and philosophies that are bound to take over everyday activities.
- Analyzes how whitman redefines the idea of a poem because he indirectly argues that, like the nation’s diversity, successful poems need principle and strong backbone.
- Opines that although the u.s. is diverse, many americans fear the idea of being different and view it more as a threat.
391 wordsRead More - Walt Whitman's Photographic Print By Mathew Bradyanalytical essayIn this photographic print by Mathew Brady, Walt Whitman, is left exposed and vulnerable. The simple nature of the photograph, a casual pin-stripe shirt juxtaposed against a stark black background, evokes an informality, that is irregular of Brady’s celebrity portraits. The lack of grandeur, allows all focus to lie on Whitman, enabling the onlooker to have a more intimate view of the man. The photograph of Whitman, is posed from head to shoulders, like many other portrait photographs, once again emphasizing simplicity of the photograph. Whitman’s face, and gaze are slightly angled to the left, suggesting an inquisitive or reflective nature of the photograph. Although well-manicured, Whitman’s balding head, full grown beard, and haunting eyes,
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mathew brady's photograph of walt whitman evokes an informality that is irregular of brady’s celebrity portraits. the photograph is posed from head to shoulders, like many other portrait photographs.
123 wordsRead More