A Comparison between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson

A Comparison between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson

08英语3班王少军学号：0828230074（13）Abstract：This paper introduces the works of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson and how their works influenced American poetry. Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are two American great poets in the same century, creating a new literary era. Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson’s works have numerous differences. Compared to Dickinson’s short and seemingly simple poems, Whitman’s are long and often complex.Yet both twentieth century writers share several similarities when delved into thoroughly. Though their approaches differ, they often deal with the same themes, and both pioneered their own unique style of writing.

Key words：death ; belief; style; work

1 .similarities

1.1. concerning death

Using death as a theme is probably the strongest connection that Whitman and Dickinson share. Whitman’s view on death is reflective of his belief in Transcendentalism. In “Song of M yself”, Whitman uses the scientific principle of Thermodynamics to assert that there is life after death, because energy cannot be destroyed; only transformed. In stanza six, he writes “And what do you think has become of the women and children?/ They are alive and well somewhere,/ The smallest sprouts shows there is really no death”. Whitman contends that life remains long after death, and to find him now all one must do is look “under your boot-soles”.

Dickinson’s writings on death are more complex and p aradoxical. She personifies death, generally seeing as a lord or as a compelling lover. In one of her more popular poems, “Because I could not stop for Death”, death is like a kindly courter. He picks her up in a “Carriage held but just for Ourselves-/ And Immortality”. Many of her other poems are about the moment of death, and what happens when the living cross over into the dead. In “I heard a Fly buzz- when I died”, Dickinson tries to explain what happens at the boundary of death. She describes the experience as conflicted as she strives to define that moment with vivid images and sounds. Although Whitman and Dickinson write about death in different contexts, both seem to feel compelled to tackle the issue repeatedly. It is also apparent that neither felt intimidated about death. Whitman refers to his impending death in the final stanza of “Song of Myself”. Dickinson herself wrote (to her cousins), “Little Cousins,/ Called back-/ Emily.” on her deathbed.

1.2.belief

Religion is also another subject both writers struggle with, and it often ties into the death theme. During the Romantic era, previous ideals and morals were questioned. Religion was scrutinized, and often considered outdated and irrelevant. Whitman challenged the traditional idea of religion, basing his philosophy off of transcendentalism. He collapses the distinctions between the spiritual and the secular. He often puts himself in place God. For example, in “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” he implies that he can see across time. In stanza thre e, he directly associates himself with Jesus Christ by writing “I am with you”, an echo from the Bible. Whitman frequently uses this echo technique, not only in “Crossing”, but also in “Song of Myself”. Stanza 19 in