The Verbose Insomniacs
Walt Whitman
Biography (1819-1892)
Fast Facts:
- Walt Whitman was born May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York.
- When Walt Whitman was 11, his father pulled him out of school so he could work.
- When he was 17, Whitman turned to teaching.
- He taught for another five years before setting his sights on journalism in 1841.
- He started a weekly paper called the Long-Islander
- In 1846, Whitman became editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle
- In the spring of 1855, Whitman self published a collection of poems called Leaves of Grass
- In January 1873, Whitman suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed.
- Whitman was onsidered one of America's most influential poets
- Whitman aimed to transcend traditional epics, eschew normal aesthetic form, and reflect the nature of the American experience and its democracy.
- Walt Whitman passed away in Camdem on March 26, 1892
Synopsis of Preface
The preface of Leaves of Grass is to justify and clearify why Whitman wrote the collection of poems. He viewed the United States as a land with great potential. Whitman believed that the country's history was preserved in its literature. Americans would learn from these past experiences, and evolve based upon them. That is why America is so accepting and open to different people. The American government and society changes its customs and laws to best fit what the country needs. In a sense, America itself is a poem; the states a united so collectively and grandly, yet always stirring. Americans should be considered heroes for the way they join together with such a combination of characteristics for improvement. America cannot fail, when its sense of teamwork is always there.
Leaves of Grass
Background
Leaves of Grass is a collection of poetry written over the course Walt Whitman's entire lifetime, organized thematically into sections. Whitman revised and added to the book throughout his life, the final edition being published only months before his death in 1891. Whitman was intentional in not organizing the book in any chronological way. Instead, he was concerned with the journey of the poetry. He desired that the reader would see a self formed through the words and themes of the book.
Analysis / Effect
Although Whitman wasn't a true Transcendentalist, Leaves of Grass was a huge inspiration to the American people. Whitman's positive views of America helped drive the country through its Civil War. They even influenced some people to side with the North. Also, by self publishing his book, Whitman showed people that one can still become powerful when discouraged by others. Overall, Leaves of Grass continuously inspires people to uphold the true American spirit.
Song of Myself
Background
"Song of Myself" was one of the original twelve pieces in the 1855 first edition of Leaves of Grass. Originally, it was titled "Poem of Walt Whitman, an American," then "Walt Whitman." The poem’s shifting title suggests something of what Whitman was about in this piece. Like most of his other poems, it too was revised extensively, reaching its final permutation in 1881. “Song of Myself” is a sprawling combination of biography, sermon, and poetic meditation.
Synopsis
First, Whitman declares that he's going to celebrate himself in this poem. He explains how much he loves the world, especially nature, and how everything fits together just as it should. There is nothing bad in the world that doesn't contribute to some larger good. Nature has patterns that fit together like a well-built house. At one point, child asks him what grass is, but he doesn't have the right to answer. This makes him ponder many different things. He identifies with everyone and everything in the universe, including the dead. Whitman imagines that he is different people. His soul takes him on a journey around the world and all over America. Throughout the poem, Whitman reveals some things that he very strongly believes in. For instance, everyone is equal, and there is an invisible connection and understanding that exists between all people and things. People would be better off, if they had faith in the order of nature and took pride in themselves. Also, death is fortunate and should not be feared. At the end of the poem, he says that he is going to give his body back to nature, and continue his great journey. However, Whitman will always be waiting alive in nature for others to realize what he meant and join him.
Analysis / Effect
Just like many of Whitman's other works, "Song of Myself" expresses how important it is to take pride in oneself. Also, similar to Transcendentalism, he states how every creature is connected, making life and death a beautiful cycle. Whitman's use of free verse in the poem exemplifies this important sense of freedom and pride.
This is a video playlist for the readings of each section of "Song of Myself."
When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
Background
Whitman wrote "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" in 1865, and published the poem in 1867, in the fourth edition of his collection Leaves of Grass. Instead of publishing new books, Whitman continued adding his work to Leaves of Grass till the end of his life.
Whitman wrote this poem in free verse, like most of his other poems. It consists of one single stanza with eight lines. The lines vary in length and have different stressed and unstressed syllables, which gives the poem an anecdotal feel. The first four lines of the poem all begin with "When" as the speaker recalls sitting and listening to the astronomer lecture. These first four lines function as a setup; and the final four lines describe the speaker's reaction to the experience well as the lesson from the poem.
Synopsis / Analysis
In this poem, Whitman uses the example of the astronomer to show the difference between academic learning and experiential learning. The speaker finds the astronomer's lectures stars and mathematical formulas to be boring. He does not feel any sort of connection to the subject matter until he goes outside and sees the stars for himself. Looking up at the night sky is not an experience that one can experience in a classroom, no matter how "learn'd" the teacher might be. Whitman felt very strongly that experiencing life's marvels was the only real way to learn.
In this poem, Whitman emphasizes the contrast between the speaker and the educated astronomer. Whitman writes the speaker's voice to emphasize the fact that he is not an academic. For example, he shortens "learned" to "learn'd" when describing the sophisticated professor. The speaker quickly grows bored while listening to the astronomer talk about theories and mathematical equations. The astronomer, however, represents a highly educated and refined class that has a more structured approach to learning. The speaker and the astronomer are shown to reveal their different opinions, who have opposite beliefs. The writer uses this disparity to highlight each individual's distinct characteristics.
Even though this poem is short, Whitman establishes a clear and vivid setting. First, he describes the classroom and lecture hall, where the astronomer is using charts to illustrate his theories and the audience's polite applause. Whitman's skill in creating evocative imagery is most powerful in the second half of the poem. The speaker is clearly inspired as he "glides" out into the "mystical moist night air" and admires the dazzling stars above him. Whitman paints pictures with these words.
Ultimately, this poem serves to highlight the difference between wisdom and knowledge. In the context of this poem, wisdom is the process of learning through experience and exploration (the speaker appreciates the wonders of the night sky only when he sees it for himself). Knowledge, on the other hand, comes from research, reading, and established theories.
By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame
Background
"By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame" is a poem written by Walt Whitman. Like "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer, "By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame" was also added into Whitman's collection, Leaves of Grass. This poem is made up of one stanza, with fifteen lines.
Synopsis / Analysis
In this poem, Whitman is descrbed to be in the army. He is sitting next to the fire, occasionally seeing a figure moving next to him. Though he was assigned to keep guard for other soldiers, his mind is elsewhere. He wasn't paying attention to anything around him. His thoughts drifts off, thinking of life and death. However, his main thought is of his home and of his loved ones who are far away from him.
This poem has a sad tone with words like “solemn,” “stealthily,” “darkness,” “silence,” “phantom,” and “dim.” While the scene is described to be an army camped in a field overnight around a fire, Whitman makes this into a lonely and almost frightful event. He acknowledges that war, and being away from home, can be very lonely, especially when the fighting and action have ceased. This poem shows that Whitman understands some of the realities of war, the loneliness, and missing people at home, and also expresses a sad tone that is more appropriate to the topic.
Click to hear a reading of the poem
Click to hear a more detailed analysis of "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer"
I Hear America Singing
Analysis
"I Hear America Singing" is all about American pride and pride in work. The poem consists of one stanza, which is made up of eleven lines. Whitman writes in his characteristic free verse. One by one, he lists the different members of the American working class and describes the way they sing as they perform their respective tasks.
This poem exemplifies the theme of musicality in Whitman's poetry. Whitman uses music to emphasize the interconnectedness of the human experience. Even though each worker sings his or her individual song, the act of singing is universal, and by extension, all of the workers unite under one common American identity.
The tone of the poem is joyful, whimsical, and hopeful. Whitman celebrates in the common American worker, magnifying his characters with descriptors such as "robust," "friendly," "blithe," and "strong." He highlights individuals that often go unnoticed in classic poems; these older verses focus on tales of brave soldiers and heroes. Ultimately, “I Hear America Singing” is a love poem to the nation. Whitman uses the small variations in individual experiences to crafts a wholesome, honest, and hardworking American identity.
Synopsis
In the poem, Whitman describes the voices of working Americans toiling away at their jobs; he details the carpenter and boatman, the hatter and the mason, the mother and the seamstress alike. And by imagining that they are all singing, he celebrates them and their hard work, and also creates a vision of an America unified by song and hard work.
"I Hear America Singing" is basically a joyful list of people working away. The speaker of the poem announces that he hears "America singing," and then describes the people who make up America - the mechanics, the carpenters, the shoemakers, the mothers, and the seamstresses. He declares that each worker sings "what belongs to him or her," and that they all sing loud and strong as they work.
The poet hears the "varied carols" of all the people who contribute to the life and culture of America. The mechanic, the carpenter, the mason, the boatman, the shoemaker, and the woodcutter all join in the chorus of the nation. The singing of the mother, the wife, and the girl at work expresses their joy and their feeling of fruition. These are highly individualistic men and women. Each person sings "what belongs to him or her and to none else."
This poem underscores Whitman's basic attitude toward America, which is part of his ideal of human life. The American nation has based its faith on the creativeness of labor, which Whitman glorifies in this poem. The catalog of craftsmen covers not only the length and breadth of the American continent but also the large and varied field of American achievement. This poem expresses Whitman's love of America - its vitality, variety, and the massive achievement which is the outcome of the creative endeavor of all its people. It also illustrates Whitman's technique of using catalogs consisting of a list of people.
A Noiseless Patient Spider
Synopsis
Walt Whitman describes a spider beginning to work on its web. It is doing the trickiest, most uncertain part of the job, trying to lay down the first line. It shoots out a lot of little strings, trying to get one of them to stick to something. Then, the speaker tells us that this is a metaphor for the soul, which also explores and tries to connect to things in the world. He addresses his soul, encouraging it to keep spinning because when "the gossamer thread flings somewhere...", it will build the necessary bridges.
Analysis / Effect
The separation of stanzas in this poem represents a shift from literal to figurative speech. In the poem, Whitman turns the imagery of the spider that captivated the reader's attention into a metaphor of his soul's desires. The spider and the speaker's soul both face a similar plight; they must use their skills to build connections, searching for meaningful and effective bonds. Whitman uses this metaphor to tell his readers that, although life at times may seem hopeless, one's soul will be successful.
"A Noiseless Patient Spider" as a song