an introduction to the major characteristics of his poetry
TRANSCRIPT
Walt Whitman
An Introduction to the Major Characteristics
of His Poetry
A “Revolutionary” and Scandalous Poet in 1800s
New subjects for poetry: the body, the city, industrialization, race
Addressed the complexities of personal and cultural life in America
Themes and Subject Matter
Self and Other
“For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”
“Each singing what belongs to him or her and to no one else”
Body and Soul“And if the body were not the soul, what is the soul?”
Nature: Small and Large“And you O my soul…in measureless oceans of space”
Favorite Paradoxes
technological advancesenergy of urban lifestylebeauty of natural landscapediversity and equalitythe strength and vitality of the
worker
America in the Mid-19th Century
Speaker I addresses You directly
Anaphoraparallelismrepetition of words or phrases at start of lines
Cataloguelong lists of items (nouns, verbs)song- or chant-like (biblical, Native American)
Form and Style
Free Versefirst major poet to use itno fixed pattern of meter or rhymeline length variesline breaks highlight meaning or create visual
effect
Choralrepetition and refrainmade to be spoken or even sung
Rhythm and Meter
Colloquialdid not use elevated languageinformal, everyday language of the streets
Invented Words/Spelling“barbaric yawp”
Diction