Compare And Contrast I Hear America Singing And A Nation's Strength
The poems I hear America Singing by Walt Whitman and A Nation’s Strength by Ralph W. Emerson are two poems that are from two different literature time frames but remarkably they have similarities and also some differences. Emerson was a harvard educated white man who wrote poems and became one of the key figures in the Romantic era including Transcendentalism. While Walt Whitman was the son of a farmer brother of eight other siblings whose love for America can be traced back to his own upbringing and parents. These two poems are similar in ways such as point of view and themes. But are different in ways such as style of writing and ways they convey their messages.
These two poems are very similar in the theme they try to get across to their
readers. The theme for both of these poems is that working men is what make a nation great. Emerson states in A Nation’s Strength “men who work while others sleep....they build a nation’s pillars deep” meaning that working men and a thriving economy is what makes a nation great. Emerson also asks “Is it a sword” asking if a nation’s ability to wage war will make it last, but in the end he comes to the conclusion that only a thriving economy will make a nation last. Whitman in I Hear America Singing talks about a very similar theme that goes hand in hand with Emerson’s theme. Whitman talks about Americans singing as they all contribute to America's economy making it strong by working and doing their part in the economy. Whitmans theme was that what had become Americas theme song was its people working and making its economy strong which by Emerson’s point of view would make America great.
Although both poets were trying to get the same theme across the poems had different techniques as to stress their themes. One of Emerson’s techniques is to ask several different questions and slowly work you to his theme. As Emerson’s audience reads they have a self reflection of what does make a Nation strong and secure for the future. Where as Whitman focused on the society working as a whole with all its individual parts. Whitman also speaks about the Industrial Revolution were Emerson does not.
In conclusion we see how different authors from different time periods can convey the same message while using two different approaches Emerson is more poetic, and based on reader’s self-reflection unlike Whitman who is much more to the point and is showing you how a society works rather than letting you self-asses what makes a nation strength. As well as seeing how their differences we see that Emerson and Whitman both have very similar themes along the lines of the economy and the working man is the key to a strong nation.
These two poems are very similar in the theme they try to get across to their
readers. The theme for both of these poems is that working men is what make a nation great. Emerson states in A Nation’s Strength “men who work while others sleep....they build a nation’s pillars deep” meaning that working men and a thriving economy is what makes a nation great. Emerson also asks “Is it a sword” asking if a nation’s ability to wage war will make it last, but in the end he comes to the conclusion that only a thriving economy will make a nation last. Whitman in I Hear America Singing talks about a very similar theme that goes hand in hand with Emerson’s theme. Whitman talks about Americans singing as they all contribute to America's economy making it strong by working and doing their part in the economy. Whitmans theme was that what had become Americas theme song was its people working and making its economy strong which by Emerson’s point of view would make America great.
Although both poets were trying to get the same theme across the poems had different techniques as to stress their themes. One of Emerson’s techniques is to ask several different questions and slowly work you to his theme. As Emerson’s audience reads they have a self reflection of what does make a Nation strong and secure for the future. Where as Whitman focused on the society working as a whole with all its individual parts. Whitman also speaks about the Industrial Revolution were Emerson does not.
In conclusion we see how different authors from different time periods can convey the same message while using two different approaches Emerson is more poetic, and based on reader’s self-reflection unlike Whitman who is much more to the point and is showing you how a society works rather than letting you self-asses what makes a nation strength. As well as seeing how their differences we see that Emerson and Whitman both have very similar themes along the lines of the economy and the working man is the key to a strong nation.