Whitman as a Modern Poet

Modern poetry refers to poetry written between 1890 and 1950 in the tradition of modernist literature. Walt Whitman (1819-1892) is often considered a pioneering modern poet because of his innovative style, themes and approach to poetry. His works break away from traditional forms. It embraces free verse and focuses on individuality, democracy and the complexity of human experience. Whitman’s poetry demonstrates his modern sensibilities and marks him as pivotal in the transition to modernist literature.

 

Iliad by Homer

 

The Iliad is an epic poem written down in Homeric Greek, a literary mixture of the Ionic Greek and other dialects, probably around the late 8^th or early 7^th century BC. One of the foremost achievements in Western literature, Homer’s Iliad is a part of an extended mythology around the legendary Trojan war that tells the story of the Greeks and the Trojans fought for ten years. Its center is Achilles, the greatest warrior champion of the Greeks, and his Conflicts with his leader, Agamemnon. Agamemnon has captured a woman named Chryseis during his siege against the other towns around Troy. Chryseis’ father is a priest of Apollo, who begs Agamemnon to return his daughter. When Agamemnon refuses, the priest prays to Apollo, who, in turn, unleashes havoc on the Greek armies in the form of plagues.

Cognitive Theory

 Cognitive theory suggests that the human mind is like a computer that is constantly processing and encoding data. According to cognitive theory, when a person experiences stimuli, his mind will look toward prior schema (or internal frameworks created by memories) to help them understand this information.

Cognitive theory is a psychological theory that explains how peoples’ thought, beliefs and perceptions shape their behavior and emotions. It focuses on the idea that how and what people think leads to their emotions and that certain thoughts and beliefs can lead to healthy or disturbed emotions and behaviors. 

Behaviorist Theory

 Behaviorism was introduced by the American psychologist John B. Watson in 1913. Though he was considered the originator of the theory, two other researchers Pavlov (1927) and Skinner (1938) contributed greatly to it by their research and theories.

B.F. Skinner was an American Psychologist, behaviorist, inventor and social philosopher. He was the professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 to 1974. His behaviorist theory of learning is based on the idea that people learn through the consequences of their actions and that reinforcement and punishment are key to shaping behavior.

When Lilacs last in the dooryard Bloomed

 This poem was published in 1865 ,is part of a series of pieces written after Lincoln’s assassination, under the section titled Drum- Taps in Leaves of Grass,’ When Lilacs last in the dooryard Bloomed. it is an elegy written upon the death of Abraham Lincoln though it never mentions the president by name. One of the major themes of Whitman’s poetry is death. This poem is thus not only an elegy of Lincoln’s death, but also reflection on death in general. It highlights the inevitability of death upon human beings, from an intense feeling of grief to the thought of reconciliation through various images and symbols. This poem is one of the finest poems that Whitman ever wrote, it is a dramatization of feeling of loss.

Whitman as a poet of Democracy

Walt Whitman, the representative poet of America, is primarily the poetic spokesman of Democracy. He is considered one of the greatest poets of democracy, and that, not only in American literature, but in the world literature as well. He believed in the inherent dignity and equality of all men and women.  He gave priority of individual over society. All individuals should be developed so that they produce. He brought about innovation in poetry. The realistic tradition in American literature is strengthen by Whitman. He liberated the American sense and sensibility from the shackles of conservation and Puritanism. He celebrated the beauty of everyday things and works democracy and common people whom he hailed as the most important force in society. He greeted the revolutionary event and developments of his time and advocated international craftsmanship. His conception of democracy is based on this belief.

Whitman as a mystic poet

 Whitman as a mystic poet:

It is an established fact that Mysticism is not a philosophy, or doctrine, but rather a temper of mind. A mystical experience, according to Bertrand Russell, involves insight, a sense of unity and the unreality of time and space, and a belief that evil is mere an appearance. Whitman’s poetry is full of mystic and transcendental strains. He had no coherent philosophy of life, but he certainly shows a strong note of mysticism and transcendentalism in his poetry. Here it is important to note that he was deeply influenced by Emerson, the American transcendentalist.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

 Walt Whitman (1819-1892) is widely regarded as one of the most influential poets in American history. He is considered as an early modern poet and a pioneer of free verse style of poetry. His work is like a cornerstone of American poetry that continues to influence modern poetry, and he remains one of the most widely read and studied poets in the world. He regarded himself, his country, his age, as the most perfect as he always believed that all creation is constantly advancing and progressing.