How History Influences Texts American Masters: Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson
Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892) One of the most influential poets in the American canon Called “the father of free verse,” but he did not invent it Concerned with politics, opposed to slavery
Free Verse TWPS (Think Write Pair Share) On your own, describe what you think “free verse” might mean…
Free Verse Verse composed of variable, usually unrhymed lines having no fixed metrical pattern. Follows the natural pattern of speaking.
Philosophical / Political Assumptions Whitman’s Poetry . . . Presents all humans as brothers and sisters (an egalitarian view of the races) Celebrates America’s democratic spirit and the heroism within common Americans Has a distinctly American voice (he is called America’s first “poet of democracy”)
What is egalitarian? Adjective: Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people.
Style Breaks the boundaries of poetic form and is generally prose-like Includes unusual images and symbols, such as rotting leaves, tufts of straw, and debris “Taboo” subjects such as death and sexuality are discussed openly
How is the symbolism similar and different to the Romantics? TPWS
Whitman’s Poetic Elements Cadence – the natural, rhythmic rise and fall of language as it is normally spoken Catalog poem – a list of things, people, events or ideas Free verse – poetry without rhyme or meter Repetition – repeating words, sounds, syllables, or other elements
Catalog Poem: Use one of the following words to write a catalog poem of 7-10 lines: School Obama Twitter Nature
Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886) Published only seven poems during her lifetime, and even these were significantly altered by publishers to bring them in line with conventional poetic rules of the time Most of her remaining poems (nearly 1800 of them) discovered in attic after her death Editors and critics were skeptical of her talent during her lifetime and into the early 20th century Now considered to be a major American poet
Philosophical / Political Assumptions Left no formal statement of her aesthetic intentions Her work does not conveniently fit into any one genre Her poetry often deals with themes of death and immortality
Style No titles Short lines Slant rhymes Unconventional capitalization & punctuation Extensive use of dashes Idiosyncratic vocabulary and imagery
Types of poems Flower / Garden: in these poems, flowers are often symbols of emotions or actions Master (or Signor): many poems address an unnamed “Master,” “Sir,” or “Signor,” who she calls her “lover for all eternity” Morbidity: numerous poems reveal fascination with illness, dying, and death Gospel: poems addressed to Christ or concerned with his teachings Landscape of the Spirit: poems describe conversations with her own soul or visits to an imaginary landscape where her soul or spirit reside
Dickinson’s Poetic Elements Analogy – A comparison made between two things to show how they are alike Irony – A discrepancy between appearances and reality Slant rhyme – A rhyming sound that is not exact
Common Poetic Elements Imagery – the use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, thing, place, or experience Symbol – A person, place, thing or event that has meaning in itself and also stands for something more than itself Metaphor – A figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using like, as, than or resembles Simile – A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using like, as, than, or resembles Personification – A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
Quick Write Of American Masters, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, which one are you most looking forward to reading ? Explain why.