Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Walt Whitman's Rebel "Yawp"


Walt Whitman is the bridge connecting the romantic idealism of the early 19th century and the realism and changed realities of the post-war period. He greatly impacted American literature with the publication of Leaves of Grass in 1855, and he is often referred to as the father of modern poetry. He believed poetry should embrace every aspect of life, and in his poems he wrote without apology on subjects that had previously been excluded as ugly or shameful. He embodied the modern democratic man who would speak of all things without hindrance. His poetry celebrates the "divine condition" of being alive with an intensity that unites all forms of life without discrimination. He was the voice of all people and all things.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think his ideas are great and his poems are incredible not like emily dickison but still good. aslo is great that he is one of the poets to started realism movement to come

Anonymous said...

i agree with you 100 percent, i am a huge fan of walt whitman. His collection of poems, Leaves of Grass, is awesome! You should check it out if you are interested. He has great insight and perspective on life, death, and meaning. Cool!

Anonymous said...

does anyone have solid poems for whitman that represent transcendentalism?