Journal 42 Whitman is my boy.

Once again, Walt Whitman is my boy. I don't even know who would want to read that poetry of Emily Dickinson. I mean really, that girl was crazy. Who's poetry do I want to read... the lady who is reclusive and won't talk to anyone or the guy who's poetry actually has somewhat of a deeper meaning. I either can read about a chick who lost love and felt that society banished her for understanding that there was something wrong with it or about God and his significance in the world. I am not saying that I enjoy being preached to about religion, by no means do I, but I don't mind hearing about it when someone can make the beautiful comparisons that Walt Whitman does. I am not overly religious, but when someone is truly passionate about their beliefs, its not so bad. Also when they can present a new idea about religions that has some philosophical meaning to it, it is even better. The guy came up with a way to say that everyone is God because collectively, humanity is God, so if you break of a part of a whole the part still holds the same characteristics. This means that we are all God. I love when there is a theory like this that can just absolutely blow my mind. Of course no crazy lady that lives by herself could come up with such a brilliant idea such at that. She was too busy being crazy. Although she actually did have some poetic devices and style, the content is more important to me. Overall, Walt Whitman is just a champ and Emily Dickinson is some old crazy lady. If I had to read one of their poetry during the time that they wrote it, I think that the choice is obvious to pick my boy Whitman. Well actually, I'd rather not read poetry at all (or for that matter, read in general), but if I'm going to be reading some, it would be Walt Whitman all day.

I'm nobody! Who are you?" Analysis

“I’m nobody! Who are you?” is one of Emily Dickinson’s most important works from her poetry career. This poem addresses the idea of being accepted in society, or as some critics see it, a coming of age and transformation into the adult world. The speaker is seen as an outcast almost calling out the society that they are in. The aspect of Dickinson’s reclusiveness in her life is shown by this poem with her pointing out the wrongs of a society that everyone is supposed to be a part of. There is also a strong selection of diction used to create the imagery and the tone of the work. This is one characteristic that can be seen in almost all of the works of Emily Dickinson. Although there are many interpretations and many disagreements to the meaning of this poem, it still remains on of Dickinson’s most popular of all time.

The first line of the poem reads “I’m nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody too? (Dickinson)” This is the first testimony that the author is separating themselves from regular society. Rather than claiming to have an identity and individuality, the author says that they are nobody. Then they go on to question whether the reader is also nobody. This leads the reader to believe that there is no true identity for people and the society is simple a created thing. This logic serves as an explanation for the strangeness of Emily Dickinson and her life. There is a strong possibility that this is how she actually felt about the world and in turn this caused her to seclude herself from everyone else because she felt that she was nobody (Leiter). She then says that if there is a pair of people who have made the conclusion that the society is not right, that they must not let it be known because they would be outcast (Dickinson). This is almost a call to the reader to question their society.

Along with the idea of banishment from society, another interpretation is that this is a poem about coming of age and the confusion of adolescents (Leiter). This is reasonable because oftentimes youth feel disconnected from society and struggle to find their place. If they fail to find an acceptable path in life they are banished from society for being different. It all comes down to the way that the reader views the words in the poem.

Diction is a very important part of the woks of Emily Dickinson. This poem is no different with a strong word selection to create the tone that she wanted the reader to experience when she wrote this poem. The simple word selection in the first stanza makes the reader feel as if she is talking directly to them, calling them out to inform them of her realization (Dickinson).

This is one of Dickinson’s most popular poems of all time and for good reason. There are many interpretations, but any way that the reader views the poem it still presents a very strong idea for each interpretation. It is clear that Dickinson’s life had a strong impact on the context of this work, but it caused the poems message to be all the stronger.



Works Cited

Dickinson, Emily. "I'm nobody! Who are you?" Part One: Life. Bartleby.com. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.

Leiter, Sharon. "'I'm Nobody! Who are you?'." Critical Companion to Emily Dickinson: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCED064&SingleRecord=True (accessed March 22, 2011).

Journal 41 "When I hoped I feared" Analysis

This short work by Emily Dickinson addresses the idea of religion and a fear of God. The main theme of this poem is that without a fear of God, one can not truly have faith and belief in God. It is all about telling people the importance of being God fearing in their lives. The opening lines explain that the writer hoped to God and then had fear of Him, but this caused them to dare. This is a daring to test their faith. There is clear reference to the bible in the serpent trying to charm the writer. This could be referring to either the Garden of Eden or to Jesus being tempted in the desert, or more generally be a symbol for the Devil as a whole. The world choice is very interesting in this poem with many descriptive words. The word charm to describe the what the serpent is doing has a very strong impact on the meaning of the poem. Most often, charm is indicated to be a good thing, but when paired with a serpent it seems almost evil and diabolical. This creates an image of the snake and this is very strong as snakes are very scary for most people. Doom is also strong for the diction of this work. Doom is almost the ultimate way to describe something that is extremely evil in nature and bad all around. The final lie of "Who hath suffered him" goes back to the idea of Jesus in the desert and all of the tests that were given. These tests are what show the strength of our faith, and this is what Dickinson was most likely trying to point out with this poem. There is varied diction to give a powerful tone and imagery to this work, which Dickinson did in all of her works. She also presented an idea about the importance of religion and a fear of God to have a true belief in God.

Journal 40 Self

I think that Walt Whitman had the idea of Self pretty right. He split it into three portions of the individuality that separates people in the world from each other, the spirituality of a person, and who people want to be. This is really a great way to look at the idea of Self as these are basically a trifecta. I think meditation ties in with the spiritual Self and the person we actually are. When one spends time to stop thinking about everything in life except for reflection of who they are and who they want to be, this is how we create the person that we want to be. Also, when one meditates, they are able to create a connection to some sort of higher idea to life. There are many religions in the world with many different forms of worship, but meditation is a universal way to create a connections with God or Krishna or any other god or higher being that one wants to follow. This is how we create the aspect of Self relating to the spirituality of a person. It would not surprise me if Walt Whitman meditated regularly and found its benefits, and wanted to share this idea with the rest of the world. For him, Christianity was his personal spirituality, but it could be any other form of religion to make this portion of Self. Although these two parts of Self are who we want to be, there is another portion of how we are actually perceived by the people that surround us. No matter how hard we try to be ourselves and do what we think is right, there is always another way to view a situation that could change how you seem to others. I really can't think of a better way to view the idea of Self. Whitman seemed to know what he was talking about when it comes to Self, and I think that he perfected this idea and tried to share it with others.

The poem “Bivouac on a Mountain Side” is a poem in the section of Drum Taps that shows many of the characteristics popular to the style of Walt Whitman. It is written in free verse, which is the style he most commonly used. This is one of the few poems about the Civil War by Whitman that does not directly portray soldiers on the field of battle, but rather just shows the soldiers camping on a mountainside (Oliver). There is an obvious subject of the everyman in this work, as the characters that it concerns are simple soldiers. There is also a slight hint about religion at the end of the poem with the very last line about the starts. This poem shows many of the characteristics that Walt Whitman used.

Whitman wrote many poems about the Civil War and the soldiers of both sides. Usually he did not show a side that he supported, and rather just spoke of how great the soldiers of the country were. This poem is very unique to Whitman’s style though, because he actually is talking about the soldiers resting rather than being in the battlefield (Whitman). The word bivouac refers to an encampment that is very temporary, even without tents and only sleeping under the starts (Huff). This is the exact image that is described in this work. Even though it is about war, the scene that Whitman creates seems to be quite peaceful.

Another characteristic of Whitman’s poetry that is shown in this poem is the subject of the Everyman. This poem is about soldiers that are camping on a mountainside for a night, and this could very well be their last night on Earth. This is what Walt Whitman wanted to address in his poem, because serving in a war is a very scary portion of one’s life and he wanted to show that. This poem is about the isolation that a platoon of the army experiences in their moments at war and how powerful the simple things like a night under the starts can be for them (Oliver).

There is a small hint of Christianity in this poem at the very end. Whitman refers to the “eternal stars” over the night skies that are looking over the soldiers (Whitman). This could be interpreted as God looking over those that are serving. It could just be talking about the starts, but the word eternal that is used makes that part of the poem more powerful and seem like it would have a deeper meaning. Whitman involved religion in all of his poems, and representing God by the stars in the night sky is how he does it for this poem.

The poem “Bivouac on a Mountain Side” by the great American poet Walt Whitman has many of the characteristics that were very popular for this particular author. The free verse poem describes soldiers of the Civil War and the Everyman that is the soldier. Also there is a hidden message of Christianity in the last lines of the work like Whitman usually included.



Works Cited
Huff, Randall. "'A Bivouac on a Mountain Side'." The Facts On File Companion to American Poetry, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Online. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CPAP0053&SingleRecord=True. March 7, 2011.

Oliver, Charles M. "'Bivouac on a Mountain Side'." 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. Online. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW059&SingleRecord=True. March 7, 2011.

Whitman, Walt. “Bivouac on a Mountain Side.” From Leaves of Grass. The Walt Whitman Archive. Online. http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/. March 7, 2011.

Analysis of "As Adam Early in the Morning"

Walt Whitman’s poem “As Adam Early in the Morning” shows many of the characteristics that Whitman used in his poetry. He uses a simple free verse style to talk about Christianity, with Adam from the Garden of Eden as the focus, the concept of the Everyman, and sensuality being one of the important parts of life. Though very short in length being only one stanza, this poem is still able to capture the image that Whitman was trying to share with no lack in passion and emotion. The most popular characteristics of literature by the great American poet can be seen in this work “As Adam Early in the Morning.”

This poem is written in free verse as many of Whitman’s other poems were written. Rather than using a complicated rhyme scheme to create the artistic sense of the poem, Whitman seems to read the poem as if in a conversation. The passion is still strong in this work though with the topic of human sensuality, sexuality, and love.

Sexuality is a common theme that appears in this section of Leaves of Grass. Whitman addresses the sensuality of man as being one of the most important driving forces for good in the world (Oliver). The final line of the poem that reads “Touch me, touch the palm of your hand to my body as I pass, be not afraid of my body” displays this passion for human sensuality that Whitman used in this section (Whitman).

Along with human sensuality, Christianity is a common theme that appears all of the works by Whitman. The literal interpretation of this poem leads the reader to think directly of Adam in the Garden and the title character is named Adam (Whitman). There is another way to see this poem though, because in one of the lines, the character says “behold me (Whitman).” Although this is something that an average human like Adam could say, it is more like something that God would say rather than an innocent person (Huff). This interpretation would drastically change the meaning of the last line of the poem, because rather than be physically touching a person, it would be more significant of meaning taking in God. “Be not afraid of my body” could very well mean to not fear God, but to take him in and be comfortable with him.

The concept of Everyman that Whitman used many times in his works can be seen, if Adam is considered a generic person. Instead of being Adam in the Garden of Eden, he could represent all of the people of the Earth that are supposed to be taking God into their lives. What better representation of a generic person could there be than the person that all men and women in the world come from in the beliefs of Christianity.

Whitman’s work of “As Adam Early in the Morning” shows many of the characteristics that are common in Leaves of Grass. The free verse poem addresses the sexuality and sensuality of man and the Everyman, as represented by Adam. In the literal interpretation, there are the obvious references to Christianity with Adam in the Garden of Eden. All of these characteristics are representative of the great poet that is Walt Whitman.


Works Cited

Huff, Randall. "'As Adam Early in the Morning'." The Facts On File Companion to American Poetry, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CPAP0028&SingleRecord=True. March 3, 2011.

Oliver, Charles M. "'As Adam Early in the Morning'." 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. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW026&SingleRecord=True. March 3, 2011.

Whitman, Walt. "As Adam Early in the Morning" for Leaves of Grass. The Walt Whitman Archive. Online. http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/. March 3, 2011.

Journal 39 "Bardic Symbols"

"Bardic Symbols" is one of the most mysterious poems by Walt Whitman as no one can truly state the meaning of the Bardic Symbols. It is no one persons job to determine what they stand for and this has created confusion all about the work by Whitman. While there was a lot of confusion revolving around the meaning of the poem, there are still many characteristics that Whitman was popular for. He uses his free verse style and has some stanzas that could be related to Christianity. One line of the poem reads "Kiss me, my father! Touch me with your lips, as I touch those I love! Breathe to me, while I hold you close, the secret of the wondrous murmuring I envy! For I fear I shall become crazed, if I cannot emulate it..." Upon first reading this seems to be directed at the father of the author and his affection, but there is a deeper meaning for God in Christianity. The father obviously represents God, and the author says that he needs the breath of the Father, which symbolizes the need for religion in his life. This is one symbol that a reader can pick out with ease, because Whitman used it so often. Although no one can really pick out and say for sure what the Bardic Symbols actually represent in this poem, the religious symbols are one thing that all readers can agree on. There are many parts of this poem that people are unsure about. Most readers are compelled to try and determine what the symbols of this poem represent, but to no avail as Whitman never gave us the true meaning of the work. This confusion mostly comes from Whitman's personal confusion for the the Bardic Symbols that he has. He understands that there is no way for him to understand what all the little things in life mean to him and what significance they have. This is why the reader of this poem cannot determine for themselves what the symbols show because even the author says that there is no way to tell what it all means.

Analysis of "A Twilight Song"

Walt Whitman is one of the most important American poets of all time. His free verse style has captured many of ideas about the Everyman, America, and Christianity. Although Christianity does not have a major part in “A Twilight Song,” the Everyman and America both are major parts of the theme, as it is a war hymn about the Civil War soldiers. When Whitman wrote this poem, the Civil War had ended about 25 years previously, but the main idea of this work is that it is never too late to pay tribute and remember those who fought in a war for our country.

This poem is about the soldiers of the Civil War that sacrificed their lives for what they believed in. The soldiers of this time were not the most extraordinary men, but rather just average people from different parts of the country. With the country having just formed, the military was not very strong, and the people that made up the troops had normal jobs and lives. Whitman says that there are soldiers serving “From wooded Maine, New-England's farms, from fertile Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, from the measureless West, Virginia, the South, the Carolinas, Texas (Whitman).” This shows that there were people from every corner of the country serving. North, South, East, and West all had men on the front line and women aiding in many important parts of the battle. Many of these people ended up paying the ultimate price and sacrificed their lives to fight for something that they believed in. Even though this poem was written 25 years after the war had ended, there is still a need to pay tribute to those that served (Oliver). Walt Whitman did not have a need to show a bias for either side, because he was not concerned with how the war turned out. His main concern was for the country of America as a whole and the potential that it has to be great.

In many of his works, Whitman spoke of the great potential that the country of America had. This seems to be an underlying theme in “A Twilight Song.” This poem has no bias to the North or the South, but is about memorial to all of the soldiers alike that lost their lives during the course of the war. Whitman was glad to see that so many people were willing to pay the ultimate price of losing their lives for what they believed in. This directly relates to the strength of the country as a whole, which was Whitman’s reason for writing about this subject in the way that he did (Oliver).

Whitman’s “A Twilight Song” shows many of the characteristics that he quite often used in most all of his works. He uses the style of free verse that he was very popular for, and the content revolves around the country of America and the Everyman. This tribute to all of the soldiers that gave their lives for their country does everyone that served justice, even though it was written many years after the war ended. These characteristics seen in this poem show why Walt Whitman is one of the best American poets of all time.

Works Cited

Oliver, Charles M. "'A Twilight Song'." 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. Online. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW539&SingleRecord=True. March 1, 2011.

Whitman, Walt. "A Twilight Song." from Leaves of Grass. The Walt Whitman Archive. Online. http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/. March 1, 2011.