Walt Whitman Interview

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Interview Interviewer: Welcome! Tonight’s special guest is the distinguished, extraordinary and controversial poet, Walt Whitman. Walt: Thanks. It’s my pleasure to be appearing on the show tonight. Interviewer: Let’s start off with some important questions. In many of your poems, you have quite patriotic feelings towards America, how did your childhood affect this view? Walt: I was born on May 31st, 1819 in West Hills, New York. My parents were proud of the developing American nation. They expressed some of their fondness for our growing country by naming my brothers after famous American heroes, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. We moved to Brooklyn when I was still young. At the age of 11 I ended my formal …show more content…

Abraham Lincoln was the shining light that guided the union to victory in the war. He helped bring unity to America and brought about a time of change for America. Interviewer: In regards to O Captain! My Captain! you have been quoted as saying “Damn My Captain … I’m almost sorry that I ever wrote the poem”. Why would you be almost sorry that you ever wrote the poem? Walt: I’m almost sorry that I wrote O Captain! My Captain! It is my remarkably famous poem. The poem is not one of my poems that criticise the American people and the American society that is why I am sorry. Abraham Lincoln is an extraordinary man that deserves the recognition brought to him. He has done marvellous wonders for America that is why I’m not sorry that I wrote the poem. Interviewer: What was the purpose of A Women Waits for Me? Walt: A Woman Waits for Me is a poem about my desire to have children. It is also about how you need a strong woman to mother your children so that they grow up strong and that children need strong mothers more than they need strong …show more content…

O Life! Is one of self-acceptance and hope. O Me! O Life! is split into two stanzas. The first stanza is a question. The question is whether the author should commit suicide. The author contemplates his life, in which he is surrounded by foolish and faithless people, and ultimately is the most foolish and most faithless person. Comments are made on humanity’s constant search for materialistic possessions and how even though we find might find them that the struggle is “ever renew’d”. They feel as if their years are wasted by doing useless things that fulfil no purpose in life, such as the struggle for materialistic property. Then comes the ultimate question, “What good amid these, O Me, O Life?” This ultimate question allows us to see that the author is questioning what benefit he can be amongst all these sad things and how advantageous his life could