American Poet

 Whitman was born in New York and lived an interesting life as a printer, a teacher, a journalist, a carpenter and eventually a field nurse in the Civil War.   He was an avid reader, a friend and admirer of Emerson, and he eventually produced some of the most influential and well known American poetry.

 He lived, wrote, and thought both before, during, and after the Civil War. SO……   His work serves as an important bridgebetween the Romantic/Transcendent al ideals of the early 1800s and the shifted viewpoint on life that predominated after the Civil War.

 An overall sense of optimism and enthusiasm for democracy and the American way of life. (Again this is in line with Transcendental and Romantic thought).

 His experience in the Civil War brings an element of real, sometimes horrible experience that was absent from most work at the time.   His style signified an important departure from previous forms of poetry (which was often very scripted and reliant on certain forms).

 Free Verse - unrhymed poetry that does not follow any SET rhyme or meter. (It can rhyme at times, but never in any set pattern)  This was new in American poetry, and it is said that free verse mirrors the freedom of Americans to pursue their own happiness.

 Cataloging: long lists in poems. Whitman uses extensive cataloging to build a sense of universality and commonality to his work. Fear of knowing the danger Fear of falling Fear of the worst case scenario Fear of what the doctor says Fear of many months of healing Fear of the unstable ankle Fear of stepping back on your board Fear of doing it again Fear of everyone watching Fear of knowing the possibilities out there Fear of should I hold on or should I bail Fear of fear.

 Paradox: A statement that appears to contradict itself, but it actually adds meaning.  Nobody goes to that restaurant, it's too crowded.  You achieve your goal only to find out that it's not what you wanted!

 Simile  Metaphor  Imagery

 “I Hear America Singing”  “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”  From “Song of Myself”  “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak, Gray and Dim”

Answer the following questions: 1. When did Walt Whitman die? 2. Name two ways in which his poetry was innovative and new to the American Literary scene.