WALT WHITMAN POETRY

By: Johnequeva Brice

BACKGROUND

Born: May 32st 1819

Brooklyn/Long Island

Poet, Essayist

SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD

http://www.bartleby.com/142/82.html

Very much like a lot of Whitman’s poem this one is based on a place (setting). In this poem Walt envisions this utopian, unrealistic society where all men can come together. The tone of the poem is free relaxed and untroubled. It makes me question rather Walt had been going through something at the time and what could have maybe triggered the thought of this poem being that the theme is staying true to yourself is imperative; We all will approach problems that appear to be unbearable and people along the path will have other expectations of you but you must stay true to yourself. The poem quotes “When a person had stress, it is time to take a rest. And when you are at that point when you need to, take the open road.” This road is open, meaning when you take this turn you have entered a space where men can all come together regardless of social class or status. A road is very meaningful in this poem being that all people use roads. All types of people interact in passing on roads regardless of who they are or what they have .Roads symbolize new starts and can take you beyond where you already been in life. Traveling along this road he associates with different sorts of people with a plethora of stories. These stories he is told are the “song” of this open road. The poem also addresses indoors versus outdoors. Indoors being the secret, silent misery for people accustomed to tradition. The desire of wanting to be outside represents his calling to those brave enough to walk this open path with him. This road displays numerous types of people with different lifestyles creating a society that is an outstanding source for great poetry.

THE SLEEPERS

http://www.bartleby.com/142/96.html

The Sleepers is another one of his poems from “Leaves of Grass”. This poem expresses Whitman’s feeling of being so closely connected to someone that they share the same dreams. This connectedness is another way of Whitman displaying empathy. He uses sleep as a balancing force to display a point in time where people’s consciousness is easy to access and understand and worth trying to access and understand. This equality; however, is not stating that all people are equal; he notes that he does not wish to destroy that diversity among people and their experiences and that none of us are the same. Sleep here represents the unconsciousness of people, “a utopia only achievable at ideal moments”. Sleep being an escape, at its highest form, and possibility to wash away all troubles and misunderstandings from the preceding day replacing them with a dream.

CROSSING BROOKLYN FERRY

http://www.bartleby.com/142/86.html

This is another poem from Leaves of Grass that deals with the relationship of humans and another force, this one being space and time. This poem addresses how people see each other (in meaning) in passing. Whitman tries to consider what he means to people and what they mean to him as strangers in passing and if they have the same reaction.

OUT OF THE CRADLE ENDLESSLY ROCKING”

This poem has often been described as “a young boys

awakening conscious” as this was a time in life, during the

authoring of Leaves of Grass when Walt was still finding himself

and maturing. In the poem a boy watches a nest of birds

completely fascinated by their connection until one day the

female bird leave and never returns. The male bird is left there to

secure his home as he cries out for his mate. A cry that touches

the young boy as if he can understand the bird’s language. He

ask’s nature for one word. The word “death” comes to mind. http://www.bartleby.com/142/212.html

“AS I EBB’D WITH THE OCEAN OF LIFE”

http://www.theatlantic.com/past/unbound/poetry/

soundings/ocean.htm

This poem follows Out of The Cradle Endlessly Rocking in the Leaves of Grass Collection. The poem is basically a walk down the beach while the poet is thinking of new ideas. All of a sudden, he is slapped in the face by overpowering doubt. He begins to view his poetry as something that isn’t getting him anywhere and has no definition on relation to him. The poem basically screams “I do not know who I am!”

BEAT! BEAT! DRUMS!

WHISPERS OF HEAVENLY DEATH

TEARS

BEHAVIOR

I HEAR AMERICA SINGING