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Poets Whitman and Dickinson

What would Whitman and Dickinson say about the idea that they represent two opposing images of the poet? Whitman represents the image of the poet as free spirit, which is also the poet as public participant. Whitman's poetry is expressed as a bellow to the world, and the subject matter of the poems is the poet himself as he interacts with life. Whitman offers a strong sense of the poet as populist, as the representative of the masses, expressing for them ideas and feelings they cannot express because they are not themselves poets. He celebrates life, the American scene, and a sense of the spiritual all at the same time.

Dickinson, on the other hand, represents the poet as recluse, as someone who stands back from the world and expresses a sense of life that comes almost entirely from within rather than from interaction with others. Her poetry is somewhat less accessible as a result, though it is tied together by images and symbols which carry repeated meanings from poem to poem. Dickinson was not necessarily the recluse she has been seen to be, but that is certainly the image she has and the sort of poet she represents.

The poetry of each poet reflects a similar distinction. Whitman's poetry is effusive, a torrent of words reaching out to an audience. Dickinson's poetry comes in short bursts and requires the reader or listener to dig for meaning, with the poem tantalizing the audience and forcing a different kind of participation.

The modern rejected traditions that existed in the nineteenth century and sought to stretch the boundaries, striking out in new directions and with new techniques. More was demanded of the reader of literature or the viewer of art. Answers were not presented directly to issues raised, but instead the artist demanded the participation of the audience more directly in elucidating meaning and in seeing the relationship between technique and meaning. The modern supplanted the Romantic tr

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Poets Whitman and Dickinson. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 09:39, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1681021.html