After studying Walt Whitman for the semester, we noticed some themes in his writing that translated into modern times. We also noticed that some of these common themes are less accepted than others. Thus, we wanted to put Whitman’s poetry in conversation with three women from the modern times: Ivy, Elie and myself. We did […]
Author Archive | richisona
Climate Change and Human Connectivity in Lerner’s 10:04
Walt Whitman has influenced many writers that have come after him. His style of writing, emphasis on human connection and the natural world and eagerness to relate to many different groups of people has translated into the modern world of literature, prose and poetry. Walt Whitman didn’t fit into the confinements of his time, and […]
“Rain without Rain” and poetry without sugarcoating
In Martin Espada’s “Rain without Rain,” he uses juxtaposing descriptions and emotions to comment on the “celebration” that was actually masking an immense sadness. In class, we discussed how many poets and writers these days choose to put a film over what they are really writing about. We are used to doing this in modern […]
“Dedications” to Whitman’s influence
Adrienne Rich’s poem “Dedications” reminds me a lot of Walt Whitman’s poems. Rich encompasses other human experiences other than her own just as Whitman did often. She writes about so many moments and so many situations that she can’t possibly have lived through them all herself. Often, Whitman is frowned upon for writing in the […]
A new Idea of Death and Nature in This Compost”
In Whitman’s piece “This Compost,” we see a different side of the famous writer. Where he often talks about the body and nature as something to celebrate – or connect with – here we see him wrestling with the idea of it. Where Whitman is normally excited about bodies and people, as in “Leaves of […]
Death, remembrance and grief in “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”
“When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” is one of Walt Whitman’s most beautifully written poems. He writes this poem in remembrance of President Lincoln, discussing death, grief, and recovering from such a tragedy. The poem moves in cycles as it unfolds, beginning with an overview of death and ending with Lincoln’s coffin finishing its […]
The Role of the Reader in “Song of Myself”
In his article, “Beyond the Myth of Narcissus: The Role of the Reader in Walt Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself,’” Santiago Juan Navarro discusses the position of the reader as described in “Song of Myself.” Navarro begins by introducing the claim that “the reader has been systematically neglected in the literary analysis,” especially when discussing Whitman’s […]