Walt Whitman's Transcendental Movement

Transcendentalism cannot be discussed without the outstanding works of Walt Whitman. Walt Whitman, the leading figure in transcendental movement, had a tremendous influence throughout the American public and writers. Among his masterpieces, “A Noiseless Patient Spider” and “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” show how he utilizes different elements to represent the belief of transcendentalism. The devices include: imagery, theme, and tone. Although they are not identical, their impact on the audience is the same: demonstrating transcendentalism. First distinguishable element includes imagery. “Ever unreeling them [filament], ever tirelessly speeding them [filament]” (“Noiseless” 5), Whitman demonstrates how the spider moves in detail, focusing

There is an easily detectable theme in “A Noiseless Patient Spider:” And you O my soul where you stand, Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space, Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect

With words and phrases like “isolated” (“Noiseless” 2) and “vacant vast surrounding” (“Noiseless” 3), Whitman retains dark and hopeless tone. The words that define the tone are mainly describing how hopeless human’s soul can be. This is based on the analysis of the humans, which is based on individualism, the cornerstone of transcendentalism. On the other hand, in “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” Whitman keeps his casual tone, just like he is discussing his anecdote. This tone is the opposite of the one used during the Age of Reason, when the justifications and logics were prevailing. As the transcendentalism sought separation from European heritage, the works at that time period were casual and from sudden inspiration. “Astronomer” definitely shows how the writings demonstrate the sudden change in writing form—an important aspect of