Walt Whitman
Imagery, Diction, and Tone
In “For You O Democracy,” Walt Whitman uses imagery of paradise and words of emotion to evoke a strong message: to struggle for what one believes in therefore create an ideal world, a paradise. Whitman on a personal level uses literary devices like imagery and diction to illustrate his struggle, motivated by his love for democracy. Throughout the poem, Whitman creates an idea of unity, a feeling of peace, as well as dreams of an ideal world. Whitman describes the dream that motivates his struggle: making “the most splendid race the sun ever shone upon” (2), in his case a race united by his ideal, democracy. Additionally, he goes on to use imagery like planting “companionship