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.
Whitman was born in 1819 in Long
Island, New York. He grew up in a time of great change in America when the
country was rapidly industrializing, there was a growing sense of national
identity as it moved towards becoming a world power. This sense of national
identity was reflected in the poetry of the time, which often celebrated the
American experience and celebrated American values. However, Whitman saw things
differently. He pictured his time in the
poems in an optimistic manner. He saw a bright future for his country. He had
many admirers. He not only shaped his country through his work but
unconsciously he had started a new trend in the field of literature also. He
believed that the American experience was not just about individual freedom and
democracy, but also about a sense of unity and community.
The influence of Walt Whitman on
modern poetry cannot be overstated, he broke the traditional form of poetry and
created a new style of poetry that was more in tune in the rhythm in ordinary
speech. This poetic new style was a departure from the formal and rigid forms
of poetry that was popular at the time. free verse was attractive to the modern
poets because they didn’t like the restrictions and constraints imposed on
poetry by meter and rhyme. Whitman is known for constructing smooth, flowing
free verse and his poetry doesn’t follow a predetermined structure.
American Civil War:
American civil war continued from
1861 to 1865.the war proved a turning point in her political and literary
history. It was a conflict between the
US federal government under Abraham Lincoln, and 11 Southern states that fought
to secede from the union. After that, the American nation ushered in a new era
of modern reconstruction. The American literature during this period flourished
in a fresh and free atmosphere. Some of the broke away from the traditions of
the past and emerged as modern writers. Walt Whitman was one of them, he sang
of the American nation and American people in his poetry. He brought about some
innovations in the poetic art and technique which characterize him as a modern
poet.
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.
Whitman was widely awake to his
times, and aware of the rhythms of modern life. The American Civil War proved a
turning point in her political and literary history. After that, the American
nation ushered in a new era of modern reconstruction. The American literature
during this period flourished in a fresh and free atmosphere. Some of the
writers broke away from the traditions of the past and emerge as modern
writers. Walt Whitman was one of them; he sang of the American nation and
American people in his poetry. He brought about some innovations in the poetic
art and technique which characterize him as a modern poet. His poems on Nature
for instance show the harmony in Nature. His work also has a halo of mysticism,
which is a result of the influence of oriental literature. His poems reflect
the nation in the making. It shows his admiration towards the Leader of the
Nation. He speaks of Mankind in general. He glories in the soul and the body.
The soul transcends the physical limits. It assumes cosmic dimensions. The poet
Whitman becomes the poet of the entire universe when he identifies himself with
all animate and inanimate objects in the world. His works expound his
acceptance of the supremacy of the divine force- the Creator.
One of the hallmarks of modern
poetry is the break from traditional forms and meters. He introduced a new
pattern of rhythm into his poetry. His rhythm is born of a balance between the
short and the long lines or vice-versa. He discarded the two traditional
elements of poetical style rhyme and meter. His rhythm is the rhythm is the
rhythm of prose verse. Whitman’s use of free verse in “When Lilacs Last in The
Dooryard Bloom’d” (1865) is a clear example of this modern approach. Unlike
many earlier poems’ structured rhyme and meter, Whitman’s lines flow freely,
mimicking natural speech and thought.
Democracy is a modernist tendency in
literature and Whitman presented himself as a strong advocate of American
democracy. He tried to encompass the whole America, the whole gamut of her
activities. He found his subjects among all sorts and conditions; his
catalogues symbolize the equalizing process of democracy. He broke with the
traditions of poetic contentions and techniques. Though he had a great trouble
in learning out the political touches, he succeeded at last. He changed the
traditional conception.
“Of life immense in passion,
pulse and power cheerful, for freest action formed under the modern man I
sing”. Laws define with fresh outlook on life, he realized that he required an
original type of verse form. The old types where he thought, fit only for the
old topics from myths, religions and feudal wars and aristocracy. He wanted to
write in a frank, crude and realistic manner. Consistent with his love for
democracy, he made use of the voice of the people, the richness and beauty. He
urged the contemporary poets to do away with the ‘delicate lady words’ and
‘gloved gentleman words.
Modern poetry also emphasizes
exploring individual experiences. It delves into the personal emotions,
thoughts and perceptions. Whitman’s O Captain! My Captain!” (1865) is a
poignant example of this focus. The poem is a personal elegy for President
Abraham Lincoln, whom Whitman admired deeply. Here he says, “O Captain! My
Captain! Rise up and hear the bells;”. The line reveals an intimate connection
to the fallen leader. It highlights the modernist theme of personal grief
amidst a broader historical context.
From Whitman’s work we identify
that contemporary social and political issues play an important role. “O
Captain! My Captain!” is a personal
elegy and a reflection on the nation’s state after the Civil War. We see this
poem captures a collective grief of a country mourning for its leader while
celebrating the union’s victory. Two
completely different types of emotions- victory and loss- reflects the
complexity of modern life. Whitman’s ability to address in this way marks him
as a modern poet.
In conclusion, Walt Whitman’s
poetry embodies many characteristics of modern poetry. His innovative use of
free verse, exploration of personal and collective experiences, and symbolism
hlighlights his role as a modern poet. Thus, walt Whitman is a modern poet.
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.
‘Leaves of Grass’ is regarded as
his ideal of democracy. The democratic conception is everywhere in his poems.
In his famous elegy on the death of American President Abraham Lincoln, ‘When
Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d’, his democratic thoughts are found. In
almost every poem he indirectly presents a noteworthy report to liberate poetry
from the tameness, the preciousness and the antiquarianism which has been
afflicting it in the second half of the ninetieth century both in England and
America. He tried to create for the modern democratic world a new poetry. He
sings of the common man the sailor, the carpenter, etc. he emphasized the use of the common language.
He laid stress on liberty, fraternity and brotherhood. Without these ideals,
there is no questions of democracy. In the poems Whitman celebrates himself.
But the self- celebration is the celebration of himself as a man and an
American. His democracy is ideal and universal. The body of his thought is nationalistic.
His democracy is spiritual because he sees in democracy the possibilities of
universal peace, tolerance and brotherhood. Whitman is not a mere idiolist, a
theorist of democracy but his democracy is practical.
Human, equality, human dignity
and progress are major themes of Whitman’s poetry. The idea of union attains a
great height in the time of death. He is the most revolutionary of poets. His
treatment of love and sex is equally revolutionary.
Thus, Whitman is a great poet of
democracy. He greatly influenced the coming generations of English and American
poets. He is, indeed, the greatest poet of American democracy and his ‘Leaves
of Grass’ is the Bible of democracy.
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 is considered a
mystic poet because he wrote about mystical experiences and the relationship
between the human soul and the universe. Like all mystics, he believed in the
existence of divine spirit, in the immortality of human soul, and in the
capacity of human being to establish communication between his spirit and
divine spirit. But he divers from the oriental or traditional mystics in that
he doesn’t subscribe to their belief that communication with the Divine spirit
possible only through denial of senses and mortification of the flesh. Whitman
declares that he sings of the body as much as of the soul. He feels That
spiritual communication is possible, indeed desirable, without satisfying the
flesh. To Whitman, the mystical state is achieved through the transfigured
senses rather than by escaping the senses.
Whitman doesn’t reject the
material world. He senses the spiritual through the material. He doesn’t
subscribe to the belief that objects are illusive. There is no tendency on the
part of soul to leave the world for good. His poetry is known for its long lines
of the free verse and his use of the poet as a symbol for the universal soul.
But he was mystic with a difference. One cannot call him a pure mystic in the
sense of oriental mysticism. He isn’t a ‘praying’ man. Like all mystics, he
believed in the existence of Divine Spirit, in the immortality of the human
soul, and in the capacity of human being to establish communication between his
spirit and the Divine Spirit. To Whitman, the mystical state is achieved
through the transfigured senses rather than escaping the senses.
Whitman doesn’t reject the material world. He
senses the spiritual through the material. He doesn’t subscribe to the belief
that objects are illusive. There is no tendency on the part of the soul to
leave the world for good. In Crossing Brookland Ferry, we find the soul trying
to play a significant role in the administration of the world of senses,
sights, sounds etc. Whitman doesn’t belittle the achievements of science and
materialism. In the poem, Song of Myself, he accepts the reality of materialism
and says:
Hurrah for positive science!
Long live exact demonstration!
Whitman honors the men of
science. But these ‘facts’, though useful, are the steppingstone towards goals
beyond the world of facts and science. He accepted the theory of Evolution but
could not believe evolution to be a mechanical process. In the slow process of
growth, development and change that science was revealing, Whitman saw God
making Himself evident and unmistakable to man. The soul of man finds full
satisfaction only in seeking out the reality being the manifestation.
"When Lilacs last in the dooryard Bloom’d”
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.
Walt Whitman gives a vivid description
of the lilac -bush that stands in the dooryard fronting an old farmhouse of
his. It is of tall growing flower plants which have heart-shaped leaves of rich
green color. The boosh has many blossoms blooming on the plants. They are
delicate and pointed and have the kind of fragrance that the poet loves. The
bush is so beautiful that every leaf of it seems like a miracle. The poet is
overwhelmed by its beauty so much that he breaks a sprig with its flower. He
intends to give this sprig of lilac to the coffin of the person he loves. He
finds no other thing to give as a gift to his dead beloved person than this
sprig of lilac. For the poet , it is the most lovable thing on the earth -this
lilac bush , with tall-growing plants, leaves of rich green and pointed
delicate blossoms blooming perennially in the dooryard of his farmhouse.
In this poem the poet gives a
beautiful description of his own Manhattan’. He addresses his body and soul at
the very beginning of his description, indicating his intense love for his own place. The city of Manhattan
stands with spires pointing towards the sky. The tides of the river flowing by
its side are hurrying and sparkling with ships on it. The land is varied and
ample, the south and the north are clear in the light., and Ohio’s shores and
flashing Missouri are visible from a distance. The sun looks more excellent. It
is calm and haughty. The mooring looks violet and purple with the gentle
breeze. It looks like a miracle in nature. The coming evening is delicious, the
night is welcomed with stars over the cities.
Abraham Lincoln was shot in
Washington, D.C. by Booth on April 14, 1865, and died that following day. The
body was sent by train from Washington to Springfield, Illinois. As it crossed
the continent, it was saluted by people of America.
‘When Lilacs last in the Dooryard
Bloomed’ is skillfully composed on three separate yet simultaneous poems. Beginning
with the lilac, the star and the memory of Lincoln’s death brought by ever
returning Spring, the poet continues with the symbols to create a pattern of
birth, death and immortality. From the particular mortality Whitman progresses
universal immortality by using the evolving symbols of lilac, star and hermit
thrush. Spring, the season which brings to mind the memory of Lincoln’s death,
is , after all, a symbol of regeneration. By the end of the poem, in which
there is nothing irrelevant and illogical, there is perfect reconciliation with
the loss which had burdened the poet. The progression of the coffin is followed
by sad irony. Mourners, dressed in black and holding offerings of flowers, turn
out in the streets to see Lincoln’s corpse pass by. The civil war is raging, though,
and many of these people have surely lost loved ones of their own.
A symbol is something that
signifies something else. Symbols may be private or public. Whitman’s symbols are
mostly private or personal. He shows his warm tribute to Abraham Lincoln in his
poems, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” and “O Captain! My Captain!”
Both the poems are elegies on the death of Lincoln, the president of U.S.A.
Whitman loved Lincoln for his strong leadership, honesty and courage. So, he
was deeply grieved at his assassination In the poem ‘When Lilac Last in the
Dooryard Bloom’d’, we find symbols of private nature. “lilac’ is of Persian origin,
and it symbolizes manly love. Lilac in this poem, symbolizes his love for great
leader, Abraham Lincoln, who was the 16th President of America. It
also symbolizes the recurrence of the memory of Lincoln. It is a kind of flower
with sweet smell and pale purple or white color. Lilac blooms in small tree
like shrub. People grow this flower plant usually in the front garden of their
houses. The poet mentions the lilacs that bloomed last in his dooryard garden. The
lilacs bloomed in the poet’s front garden on A[ro; amd the President was killed
in the same month. This is why the poet identifies the last lilacs with the
tragic death of the great leader of the United States pf America. The heart
shaped green leaves of lilac stand for the lush, unadulterated feelings that
come out from the heart of man. The ‘spring ‘symbolizes the recurrence of every
existence after its temporary extinction.
In the poet’s context, it symbolizes the recurrence of the memory of the
great lead. The western star symbolizes Lincoln himself, the hermit-trash
symbolizes the thoughts of the poet about Lincoln. Grass is recurrent symbol in
Whitman’s poetry. It symbolizes democracy and also the miracle of the universe,
the mystery of life and nature. “I” in many of his poems is the whole of
humanity at large, human beings of all places and times. Whitman’s sumps are
unique-they are for all people of all times and evoke necessary emotions. As spring returns the lilacs blossom, and the
planet Venus “nearly dropped in the western sky”, the poet mourns the powerful western
fallen star” now covered by “” black murk” in the “tearful night” and he is
“powerless” and “helpless” because he could around him “will not free my soul”.
He observes a lilac bush, is deeply affected by its perfume, and believes that “every
leaf is a miracle”. He breaks off a small branch with “heart shaped leaves”. A
shy, solitary thrush, like a secluded hermit, sings a song which is an expression
of its inmost grief. It sings “death’s outlet song of life.”
O Captain! My Captain!
Whitman is generally regarded as
a formless poet. He didn’t usually care to organize his material into any
conventional pattern. But ““O Captain! My Captain” is an exception. It is an elegy written in the tragic death of Abraham Lincoln
the 16th president of the United States of America. He was a Braverman
with brave heart. He didn’t bear the inhuman trade of the negro-slavery in his country.
He was determined to abolish slavery from the southern states of America. As a
result a Civil
War waged in the country between the north
and the south. As the president of the country Abraham
Lincoln led the Civil war against the south and won victory. He abolished the heinous
trade of slavery from the country and save the unity of the states. But he was shot dead by a criminal, an actor
named John Wikes Booth in a theatre few days after the victory. It was a great
loss of the nation because Abraham Lincoln was a great soup. He was the hero
and beloved leader of the nation. Whitman loved the leader from the core of his
heart. The tragic death of his beloved leader shocked him so tremendously that
his grief in this elegy became poignant and intense. It is the cry of his
broken heart and so it goes straight to the heart of his readers. This is why
his personal grief has become an elegy of universal appeal. He expresses indirectly through the use of
symbol and metaphor. The ship in the poem stands for the country, the U.S.A.
and the captain of the ship stands for Abraham Lincoln, the great president of
the country. The bells ringing, the flags fleeing, the bugle trilling and the people
all exulting are used to mean that the people of the country were so happy and delighted at the victory of the leader. They gatherer
to welcome and honor
“O captain! My captain!” is
composed in rhyme and regular meter. It is a poem in three stanzas of eight
lines each and each stanza have a regular rhyme pattern. There is beautiful
rhythm in his poem. The theme of the poem concerns all the American, and the
material skill is so craftily employed that this poem has become very popular
not only craftily employed that this poem has become very popular not only in the
united states but also outside. For the Indians, the poem has a usual charm as
the themes of the poem bears a remarkable analog with the tragic death of
Mahatma Gandhi by shooting.
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