Introduction: In this project I will interpret Whitman’s portrayal of women, to determine whether or not he serves as a feminist poet, or as more of a product of his time. Meanwhile, I will utilize the work of Adrienne Rich, a feminist poet, as a framework for feminist ideals. Then, I will be able to compare and contrast their visions of a “common language,” to then hone in on Whitman’s vision alone, and discern if it proves all-inclusive.
Goal: I will argue that, in some sense, Whitman proves revolutionary in that he discusses women and men, and as he rejects taboos to discuss female desire. However, as Adrienne Rich states, he provides a voice for women, in lieu of providing women with a voice. Then, he praises women for being care-takers, mothers of men, and provides them with speech through a masculine voice. Thus, Whitman takes a feminist “step,” in his inclusion of women, but his portrayal of women proves limited, as it does not permit them to extend beyond a preordained role and maternal archetype.
Account: This project will interpret shifts, from poems such as “Sleepers,” which discuss female desire, to “Unfolded out of the Folds,” which represent women as mothers of men; one might argue Whitman seeks to provide inclusion, yet, as mentioned in “Loftiest Spheres,” he mirrors the ambivalence of his time. Meanwhile, Erikson argues that both poets seek to connect humans, but that Rich provides more restraint, as she separates herself from said marginalized groups, while Whitman seeks inclusion. This will afford me the ability to analyze how poems such as Section Eleven of “Song of Myself,” which includes the female bather, seem to represent reclamation of woman’s voice and desire, but become less credible as the writer decides to merge with woman, through his masculine voice. In addition, through Middlebrooks’ article, I will further address the gendered nature of Whitman’s “you.” I will claim that Whitman would serve as more of a feminist through recognition of his privilege and establishment of necessary distance.
Timeline: My project will take the form of a traditional research paper, which will permit me to analyze intricacies of Whitman’s portrayal of women, and to determine to what extent he aligns himself in the women’s movement, through the lens of Rich’s feminism. Between the 4th and the 8th, I will read my sources more thoroughly and will discuss at least three sources per day for my annotated bibliography. Thus, I plan to complete my annotated bibliography by April 11, to indicate how I have narrowed my search, how I will utilize each source, and how these sources will work in relation to one another. By the 15th, I plan to provide an outline of main themes I would like to explore in my essay, as well as the various notions I will explore, as they inform my personal view. Each weekend between now and the 17th, I hope to write 5 pages of article analysis and overall discussion, (though this will inevitably take shape and change as I develop my argument), so that I will write throughout the entire process. On the 17th, I will turn in my completed rough draft, in time to rework this and to peer review it as well.
Bibliography:
Cixous, Hélène, Keith Cohen, and Paula Cohen. “The Laugh of the Medusa”. Signs 1.4 (1976): 875–893. Web.
Diane Middlebrook. “Making Visible the Common World: Walt Whitman and Feminist Poetry”. The Kenyon Review 2.4 (1980): 14–27. Web.
Erickson, Peter. “Singing America: From Walt Whitman to Adrienne Rich”. The Kenyon Review 17.1 (1995): 103–119. Web.
Gelpi, Barbara Charlesworth, and Albert Gelpi. Adrienne Rich’s Poetry. 1st ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton, 1975. Print.
Literature 54.1 (1982): 28–43. Web.
Mullins, Maire. “Walt Whitman Quarterly Review.” Leaves of Grass as a “Woman’s Book” 1993. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.<http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1380&context=wwqr>. Annotation.
Rich, Adrienne. Fact Of a Doorframe. New York: W. W. Norton, 2002. Print.
Sherry, Ceniza. Walt Whitman and the 19th-Century Women Reformers. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: U of Alabama, 1998. Print.
University of California Press. ““In Loftiest Spheres”: Whitman’s Visionary Feminism.” The Erotic Whitman. University of California Press. Web. 2 Apr. 2016. <http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=kt067nc4vr&chunk.id=ch07&toc .id=&brand=ucpress>.
Wrobel, Arthur. “”Noble American Motherhood”: Whitman, Women, and the Ideal Democracy.” American Studies 21.2 (1980): 7–25. Web.
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