Research Paper On Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman became known as a truly American poet through experiencing and writing about the nation in its early years. Born on May 31, 1819 in Long Island. His draw towards writing began in his early childhood when he apprenticed for the Long Island Patriot newspaper. He became a teacher in New York then turned back to newsprint, creating his own company The Long-Islander, and in 1855, published his first poetry anthology Leaves of Grass. Then the Civil War occurred and Whitman, in New York hospitals, saw soldiers wounded on the battlefield and decided to help. This putting a toll on him which only increased when he moved to Washington D.C to nurse injured soldiers and his wounded brother. In Washington, he viewed even more injured and stayed
“The Act of Crossing” (The Walt Whitman archive), the feeling of passing on, growing and ultimately dying was crafted into it. Additionally, the feeling of moving on and continuing “Flow on, river! flow with the flood-tide, and ebb with the ebb-tide!”(Whitman 111).The poem then ends with the idea of life and death as “You furnish your parts toward eternity,Great or small, you furnish your parts toward the soul.”(Whitman 145-146) reminding us that while that created by humans live forever we do not. Likewise, Whitman shows a sense of unity in noting that so many take the same means to arrive and depart, all with the hope to provide, to grow, and to live the American dream. And in the end he mentions “the soul” creating a common human soul not anyone in particular. The ferry continue to work so that the soul, every individual, can make the most of the
The origins come from his school teaching days when asked ““What is the grass?””(The Whitman Archive) a question that sent him into a state of pondering and wondering on the more complex meanings that were behind the seemingly simple and ordinary. Time passed and he moved with the idea in the back of his mind until the poem was created which expressed his answer. Like the previous this poem was in his first edition of Leaves of Grass. The book published when he witnessed the darker sides of the nation. He had visited New Orleans and was shocked at the sight of slavery, prompting him to create the free-soil newspaper, the Brooklyn Weekly Freeman, after which he did several odd jobs on the side while beginning to publish the book. The poem Song of Myself at first glance appears individualistic and self-centered especially with the heavy use of “I”. However, while boasting about American individualism, he weaves the idea of collectivism and unity by adding “you”. He places himself at the same level of the reader and reminds that while we are all different and seek different goals we all are made the same and breath the same