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Literary Devices In Thomas Whitman's Poetry

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“Since our complex societies are highly susceptible to interferences and accidents, they certainly offer ideal opportunities for a prompt disruption of normal activities”(Habermas, Brainy Quote). When certain aspects of life are broken apart, people become disturbed in different ways. Whitman discusses different ways that life may be affected or disrupted, and explains how it is inevitable to happen eventually. Literary devices such as tone, repetition, imagery and allusions may be used to visualize the disruption of life depicted within Whitman’s poems. Within Whitman’s poems, a dark and depressing tone can be visualized. Whitman seemingly talks sadly throughout his poems. Throughout several works by Whitman, there is rarely any happy scenes of any sort. “My captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still”(O Captain, 17). Since Whitman’s poems were written based on the Civil War, it is understandable for the poems to be depressing in tone. With Whitman’s depressing tone, several quotes build on the depressed theme that he tries to imply. Whitman speaks of the Union Army and how although victory was accomplished, loss was still apparent. “But I with mournful tread, walk the deck my captain lies, fallen cold and dead”(O Captain, 22-24). This quote was based on the loss of former President, Abraham Lincoln, who led the Union Army to victory, but in the end, had tragic misfortune. Whitman also …show more content…

When focusing clearly on literary devices such as tone, repetition, imagery, and allusions, the audience may understand clearly the reasoning to wy these poems were written. Whitman’s poems were highly based on events from the Civil War which explains the history of the United States from a different perspective. Focusing on the literary devices above not only gives one the visualization of how the Nation was built, but how devastating it was

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In “A Noiseless, Patient Spider,” Walt Whitman suggests that to survive and achieve emotional fulfillment, connections must be present. In stanza 1, the author mentions a spider trying to make a web on a “promontory” over the sea (1.line 2). The spider is personified in the first stanza and described as “noiseless [and] patient”, which helps the reader discover the spider’s initial personality and instinct. In lines 2 and 3, the writer uses the repetition of the word “mark’d” to signify the importance of the next lines, in which he parallels the speaker to the spider through word-choice and further repetition. The words “vacant” and “vast” provide the reader with a sense of the spider’s precarious nature and the words’ alliteration add emphasis to the magnitude of the setting and

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Whitman talked about hope when he says “The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting.” In the poem, the boat was nearly to its destination, which symbolizes hope. For four horrendous years, Americans were fighting each other which led to a horrible bloodshed that killed approximately 600,000 Americans. People nearly lost hope, however, Lincoln is not the only one portrayed in this poem. Although the captain, Lincoln, was lost, the ship who

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Nineteenth century poet Walt Whitman lived and wrote in a fascinating time period and changed the literary world, all while experiencing a unique American war first hand. A humanitarian as well as a writer, Whitman volunteered as a nurse during the Civil War where he experienced the horrors of mortality, yet felt spiritually content afterwards as well. His frequent interactions with the wounded and sick would further alter his poetry and life, in a way where he would be able to cope with his time spent among the battle. Traumatized by the aftermath of the brutal war, Whitman used his writing as a reflection of his mind and life as his involvement in both the depravity and nobility of human existence absorbed into every aspect of his spirit.

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932 Words | 4 Pages

To begin, it’s important for the two poets to led the readers to understand the context about death behind their poems and how it has inspired them to write about it. Throughout Dickinson’s life, she has experienced death in many ways and forms: with that, death has made a great impact in her writings. In Dickinson’s poem, “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died –,” Dickinson looks into the physical procedure of dying and how it affects not just herself, but others as well. When Dickinson was dying on her deathbed, she describes the fly as a figure of the theme death itself, as the wings of the fly basically cuts off the speaker of the poem. For Whitman, he has experienced death in the time of the Civil War.

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903 Words | 4 Pages

Whitman talked about hope when he said “The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting.” In the poem, the boat was nearly to its destination, which symbolizes hope. For four horrendous years, Americans were fighting each other which led to a horrible bloodshed that killed approximately 600,000 Americans. People nearly lost hope, however, Lincoln is not the only one portrayed in this poem. Although the captain, Lincoln, was lost, the ship who

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835 Words | 4 Pages

In the two poems the reader can see many examples of figurative language. In the poem, “I Hear America Singing,” Whitman

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The last stanza presents the complete consequence of the war. Randall discerns that “Although the speaker recognizes the cost of the war…he would have the ‘terrible’ (line 21) drums and blaring bugles do their work.” Even though Whitman would rather not have the war, he knows that the Civil War is a necessary evil to get rid of slavery. This metaphor describes the awful path of the war throughout the

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1302 Words | 6 Pages

“Different Authors write different ways, have different relationships with their audiences, and those are all legitimate”(John Green).Authors Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman who lived and expressed Themselves through Poetry and Writing during the realism era, convey different style characteristics, write in very different ways and connect to their audiences through very different ways. Both authors have very contrasting writing, although both differences and similarities are discovered by such characteristics. The writing of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman shows many similarities and many differences through their backgrounds and themes, and the way both aspects affect their writing. Walt Whitman experienced a very different upbringing,

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Throughout his poem, he constantly talks about the importance of coming together and merging. Whitman says, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” (Whitman 1). On the surface, this quote may appear to illustrate that Whitman thinks highly of himself, but it is more than this. The last part of this quote emphasizes that we are all connected and even though we are all individuals, we should not forget that we are connected to one another. Whitman also says, “Urge and urge and urge, Always the procreant urge of the world.

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His works are full of realistic qualities. Moreover, they are long with deep messages, as well as well-structured and detailed. Furthermore, his poems are democratic both subject and the language which shows how intellectual was his imaginary and visual style of writing. To both Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, the individualism in society has a huge importance which, at the same time, inspired their style of writing. Also, they accept the importance of God in connection with nature and immortality.

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Walt Whitman captures his audience’s attention with his realism poetry and free verse poetry throughout much of his life as a poet. Whitman was a man of the civil war era and in his poem “The Wound-Dresser” shows his life experiences in the war come full force in the way he conveys his contribution in the civil war. His view of the war as a wound-dresser and he describes some of the most horrendous scenes imaginable from the eyes of an everyday man. His poem “The Wound-Dresser” doesn’t show the war from a distance, but from right on the battlefield in its unedited version as written by Whitman. The way Whitman conveys his poems of the everyday man’s life in his time-period is presented by utilizing his realism style to connect to the audience and his gruesomely descriptive vocabulary.

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853 Words | 4 Pages

When reading the poems “The road not taken” by Robert Frost,and “O’Captain,My Captain” by Walt Whitman it is evident that both have a great deal of distinctions, as well as commonalities. The first poem,“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is a symbolic story of a young man discovering his path in life. “The Road Not Taken” begins during Autumn, in the woods. The speaker,a young man, takes a stroll along a road. Eventually,he reaches a point in which the road diverges into two.

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It is common for a person to admire the stars in the sky. Their brightness and arrangement is a fascinating sight, of course. On the other hand, people tend to forget or plainly ignore what is right under their feet. In “Song of Myself,” Walt Whitman focused on what he thought was truly important, details of the green grass. Whitman wrote, “I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey work of the stars” (663).

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In this grand poem, Whitman glorifies the unity of all people and life. He embraces the geographical diversity as well as the diversity of culture, work, as well as sexuality or beliefs. Whitman’s influence sets American dreams of freedom, independence, and self-fulfillment, and changes them for larger spiritual meaning. Whitman appreciates hard work as well as being simple and non-egotistical. His major ideas are things such as soul, good health, as well as the love of nature.

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938 Words | 4 Pages

Secondly, Whitman’s use of imagery shows the power of his imagination and the extent of his sensory impressions. Line twenty-two for example brings forth the energy coming from nature and its spiritual affect on the self. In addition, Whitman uses the senses to draw a picture for the reader. Touch for example, is used in “a few light kisses, a few embraces…”(1150). Hearing is used in “the sound of the belch’d words of my voice…”(1150).

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