Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman wrote poetry in the 1800s in America. He broke the standard mold of 19th century American poets and created a new type of poetry. Traditionally for that era, rhyming and metric verses dominated American poems (Connors). Walt Whitman believed that type of writing was "copious dribble" and did not represent the country well (Connors). Whitman wrote in free verse, with sexuality, and tried to represent the whole country with his poems (Oliver.) In Leaves of Grass Whitman introduced Americans to free verse. Although he did not invent it, he improved the style to represent "American spirit: free, individual, and democratic" (Oliver). Whitman used a "free flowing style" that was first shunned by critics and not embraced by Americans like it would later be (Oliver).

Walt Whitman's poetry was full of "sexual love and exaltation of the human body" that startled and shocked many people (Oliver). Ralph Waldo Emerson even intervened and asked Whitman to remove or edit some of his poems that were very graphic involving sexual actions and references in his "Enfans d'Adam" poems (Oliver). Whitman did not agree and kept the poems the way they originally were. Walt Whitman's "Calamus" poems involved descriptions of homosexual love and Whitman eventually edited that set of poems to be more "family friendly" (Oliver). Whitman also edited "Children of Adam" after Emerson and many critics argued that expressing the desires, torments, and needs of homosexuals could be expressed in a less graphic and offensive way (Connors).

In "Song of Myself" Walt Whitman wrote about the whole country, every man and women, regardless of race. The "I" in the poem was written to represent a collective, all Americans united together (Connors)."I celebrate myself, and sing myself" represents the country coming together and uniting after the Civil War (Connors). In the preface to Leaves of Grass Whitman makes it clear that he rights for everyone, not to a specific race, "for America is the race of races" and blacks are represented equally in Whitman's poetry. Emerson was a fan of Whitman and embraced him as a "quintessential American poet" who embraced the "diversity of race and attitude" (Connors). Walt Whitman served in the Civil War as a field nurse and tended to the wounded (Connors). Seeing first hand the violence of the Civil War influenced Whitman's later writings which included and represented every aspect and everyone of the war; black or white, Union or Confederate (Connors). He graphically wrote about the war in Drum Taps and because of that many publishers rejected it (Connors). Walt Whitman was not appreciated while he was alive, for it was not until later that the true genius of his poetry was realized and embraced in America. Few people had read Whitman's Leaves of Grass and knew who Whitman was personally since most people who read it burned the "vulgar filth" and did not want anything to do with it (Connors). When Whitman's boss in Washington, James Harlan, found out he was the author of the "scandalous and indecent work" Whitman was fired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior (Connors).



Connors, Judith. "Whitman, Walt." In Bloom, Harold, ed. Walt Whitman, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 19 Mar. 2012.

Oliver, Charles M. "Whitman, Walt." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 19 Mar. 2012.

"I Sit and Look Out"

Walt Whitman was opposed to slavery and wrote frequently about it in such poems as "I Sing the Body Electric", "Song of Myself" and "I Sit and Look Out" (Klammer). Those poems were published in Leaves of Grass as the Fugitive Slave Law and the Wilmont Proviso were debated in a pre- Civil War America (Klammer). Whitman took action through words, writing editorials, poems, and articles about "freedom and liberty of persons of African descent" (Klammer). As opposed to Henry David Thoreau who did not take action, and only talked about abolitionism and freedom, Walt Whitman fought in the Civil War for the rights of the "Negro", the African American slaves (Klammer). Whitman sought to represent both the southern African American slaves and their white masters (Klammer). He tried to get both sides to understand that he will "go with the slaves of the earth equally with the masters . . . Entering into both so that both will understand me alike" (Klammer).

Although Walt Whitman received attention, the change he desired did not come with the attention. His sadness and regret shone through in "I Sit and Look Out". He describes the "agonies" of the world in his day, including slavery and war, and at the end comes to the conclusion that in "all the meaness and agony without end" he looks out and realizes "see, hear. and am silent" (Whitman). That was the problem with America at that time period. Enough people realized that slavery was not acceptable and people should not be treated in that way, but not enough action was taken to solve the issue peacefully before it resulted in a bloody Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves with his Emancipation Proclamation, but as Ralph Waldo Emerson so firmly believed, that "a piece of paper would not free anyone" (Hawthorne). Everyone can be the narrator in "I Sit and Look Out" and see all of the problems in the world. Only a brave few will, and can, take action to stop the "agonies" and "sorrows of the world" (Whitman).



Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 12 Mar. 2012.

Klammer, Martin. "Slavery and Abolitionism". J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings, eds., Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing, 1998. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.

Whitman, Walt . "I Sit and Look out." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.

"I'm Nobody! Who are you?"

Emily Dickinson's "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" is a classic poem. I interpret the poem as a slam against society, and as a high schooler, against the popular students. "Are you nobody, too?" can be interpreted as the author finding a fellow outcast, a nobody, among the frogs in the bog that is the setting in the poem (Dickinson). Later in the poem the author warns the fellow nobody to not tell as they will be "banished" (Dickinson). I interpret that as the author living in a society that prohibits difference and "nobodies" that could ruin the utopian of society where everyone else are frogs. The author hides her difference, her status as a "nobody", so she will not get banished (Dickinson). The frogs, the somebodies, tell their name "the livelong day" to the bog (Dickinson). The way that the author tells the reader that comes off in a mocking way that reinforces the idea that being a "nobody" is better than it sounds and is worth the possible "banishment" (Dickinson). In a bog or a swamp in real life, frogs croak and sound similar to other frogs. As most frogs' croaks sound the same, the noise blends into an "unidentifiable mass" (Priddy). Being a "somebody" or frog is boring and unoriginal as the "frogs" tend to blend in with each other and there is not individuality, only a collective. "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" reminds me of the Borg Collective. Resistance is futile, as "nobodies" are banished if found, so everyone is a Borg, or in Dickinson's case a frog. Every once and a while a Seven of Nine or a Hugo comes along and breaks off from the collective becoming a "nobody" and is broken off from the collective mind and are individuals. "Nobodies" are unique individuals that are different from the "frogs", but accept the individuality and feel sorry for the "dreary" frogs (Dickinson). The author welcomes the fellow nobody, the reader, as they are few in a society of frogs.



Dickinson, Emily . "I'm Nobody! Who are you?." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.

Priddy, Anna. "'I'm Nobody! Who are you?'." Bloom's How to Write about Emily Dickinson. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.

"To Build a Fire"

Jack London wrote two versions of "To Build a Fire" in a time span of six years. He wrote the original for Boy Scouts as a lesson enforcing the buddy system and to warn against "traveling alone in the North" (Bloom). He elaborated on the second version to tell the story of the man and his demise (Bloom). After reading the story of a man, a newcomer or "chechaquo", and his dog traveling to meet with the man's friends at Henderson Creek, I have learned to not travel alone and to strategically pick a location to light a fire (London 604). Henry David Thoreau and Jack London both wrote about nature and the repercussions that occur if Nature is not obeyed and appreciated. Thoreau lived at Walden Pond for two years, two months, and two days, to better understand and become one with nature (Harding). He found inspiration for much of his writing through his experience. Jack London went to the Yukon and Klondike in Alaska searching for gold, but instead found inspiration through his experience with the Northern wild (London 601). Both authors wrote about what they know, in this case nature and told stories through the experiences they lived. In "To Build a Fire", the unnamed man makes mistake after mistake that could have been prevented through having someone else there and through experience. An experienced Yukon hiker, gold searcher, or native would have waited someplace warm instead of hiking across the frozen tundra in -75 degree weather (London 604). The unnamed man decided that there was no reason to not travel as that meant that the temperature was only "eighty degrees of frost" (London 604). The man did not respect Nature, and that resulted in his demise. He was foiled three different times when trying to build a fire (London 610). If he would have respected nature and waited to travel when the weather was more forgiving, he would not have died, frozen in the snow.





Bloom, Harold, ed. "'To Build a Fire'." Jack London, Bloom's Major Short Story Writers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2001. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.

Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.

London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 601-614. Print.

"Richard Cory"

"Richard Cory" is a poem with a twist in the ending that was well written by Mr. Edwin Arlington Robinson. After reading Edwin Arlington Robinson's biography, I felt depressed. He felt that he was "unhappy, pessimistic" and his writing reflected that (Robinson 573). In both "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy", the writing style has a dark and ironic feeling. "Richard Cory" started off cheery as the description regarding Richard Cory was that he was handsome, causing "fluttering pulses" when he talked, and he was rich and admired (Robinson 575). The poem is all chipper and happy until the last two lines when "on a calm summer night" he killed himself (Robinson 575). The classic Robinson ironic writing: the seemingly happy, rich, handsome man who is envied by those who can not afford "meat... bread" is truly the unhappy one and commits suicide (Robinson 575). Edwin Arlington Robinson said that he wrote "Richard Cory" to serve as "an object lesson" that having "wealth, prestige, and privilege" does not equivalent to happiness (Bruccoli). Henry David Thoreau was not a believer of material wealth as "wealth can not buy freedom" (Cisco). He thought that while wealth was important to maintain a lifestyle above poverty, it was not necessary to be free and happy (Cisco). He would have acknowledged Richard Cory's suicide as a testament to his opinion that wealth does not equate happiness. Richard Cory seemed to have it all to the poorer people in his community, and he kept a good mask to promote that view of him, not letting anyone know his suicidal thoughts except that he was "human when he talked" (Robinson 575). That showed that he might be rich and better off then the other people in the town, but emotionally was a distant second to the poorer people. Robinson thought that the less fortunate people were only less fortunate according to physical means, but was better off emotionally and spiritually, and did not need to "long to switch places" with Richard Cory (Bruccoli).




Bruccoli, Matthew J., and Judith S. Baugman. "Richard Cory." Student's Encyclopedia of American Literary Characters. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 04 Mar. 2012.

Cisco, Michael. "Henry David Thoreau: Bachelor of Thought and Nature." In Bloom, Harold, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 04 Mar. 2012.

Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 573-576. Print.

"The Darling"

Anton Chekhov, a famous Russian playwright, wrote "The Darling" not for the plot and action packed reading, but for the atmosphere and character of a story and how one seemingly ordinary event can have a huge impact on everyday lives (Chekhov 557). "The Darling" tells the story of a woman who is dependent on others and can not have an opinion of her own (Bloom). As her husbands go through different ends, Olenka goes through withdraws as her center of the universe dies or leaves her. This story reminds me of "The Story of an Hour", but the women are complete opposites. Mrs. Mallard is a strong independent woman, but Olenka needs a man to love to survive in the world. When Mr. Mallard dies, Mrs. Mallard is ecstatic about her new found "freedom" that comes with the news (Chopin 555). When Olenka finds out that her first husband, Snookin Vanya, died in Moscow, she breaks down and mourns for him and screams out "Who is going to look after your poor wretched Olenka now you've abandoned her" (Chekhov 560). Olenka had some serious clingy relationship issues as she repeats that cycle three more times with a total of three men and one child (Chekhov 565). Unfortunately for Olenka, she does not have the same "luck" as Mrs. Mallard. After proclaiming her freedom, she composed herself and went downstairs to be startled by her "dead" husband walking in the door (Chopin 555). Olenka would have rejoiced to the high heavens that her beloved husband was still alive. But Mrs. Mallard was an independent woman and was held back and suppressed by her husband (Chopin 553). She died of "joy that kills" after learning that she was not "free" (Chopin 555). Olenka almost died of abandonment and lack of someone to love after her husband died and "left her" (Chekhov 563). Chekhov did a good job representing the other woman, although the story is written in a way that could mock dependent women or tell the story of the "gentle slave" (Bloom).


Bloom, Harold, ed. "'The Darling'." Anton Chekhov, Bloom's Major Short Story Writers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2001. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 04 Mar. 2012.

Chekhov, Anton. "The Darling." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 557-565. Print.

Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 551- 555. Print.

"I Will Fight No More Forever"

Chief Joseph was the leader of the Nez Perce Native American tribe from 1871 after his father's death until Chief Joseph's death in 1885 (Chief Joseph 531). During this time, Native Americans were being forcibly removed from their ancestral lands and relocated to the west out of the way of the "civilized" white people (Divine). When the United States government tried to relocate the Nez Perce to Idaho from their native land of what is today known as Oregon because of the gold recently found the Nez Perce territory (Chief Joseph 531). After peacefully resisting for a number of years, the US government threatened forcible relocation (Chief Joseph 531). Chief Joseph did not want bloodshed or any time of physical conflict so he agreed to journey to Idaho with his tribe. After the government killed members of the tribe, Chief Joseph led his tribe north to Canada (Chief Joseph 531). After three months of evading the US troops, the Nez Perce tribe was captured and sent to Idaho (Chief Joseph 531). Many of the Nez Perce died of "white" diseases and from the long trek (Chief Joseph 531). That is what led to Chief Joseph to go to Washington D.C. and meet with the president to raise awareness to what was happening to his people (Divine). Chief Joseph was a well respected man, but as he was an Indian, he was not granted what he required. The racism in America during this time was not just against African Americans, but also Native Americans. Chief Joseph's story reminds us how many different types of people were mistreated in America and very little was done about it. In Chief Joseph's "I Will Fight No More Forever" speech, he said how his "heart is sick and sad" (Chief Joseph 533). That feeling was shared by many people in America during this time period, but not be enough to change the way things worked and make changes to American society.



Chief Joseph. "I Will Fight No More Forever." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 531-533. Print.

Divine, Robert A., T. H. Breen, George M. Fredrickson, R. Hal Williams, H. W. Brands, and Ariela J. Gross. America Past and Present AP Edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print.

Hawthorne, Julian. "Emerson as an American." In The Genius and Character of Emerson. Boston: James R. Osgood, 1885. Quoted as "Emerson as an American." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 01 Mar. 2012.