Whitman can be seen as self centered (quote from Emerson) with his writing as well as self less, he is said to be the poet of the common people. Based on what we have read and talked about in class do you think Whitman is more self centered or self less?
I think you can argue it either way depending on what text you are analyzing and what context it is in. Whitman was a very contradictory person and can be viewed both ways, as some of his writing strongly suggests the ability of common people to be poets and some suggest that he thinks he is the best poet to ever live. I think we can all agree that Whitman was very self confidant, but he said every common person writes poetry all the time, which seems to suggest that he thinks anyone can achieve his stature if they are confidant enough and willing to take a risk. I wouldn't say Whitman was selfless but he definately embodied both self confidence and confidance in the common man's ability at the same time.
ReplyDeletei think that initially when whitman started writing he was much more the peoples poet, as he didn't publish his book with his name on it. but by the second edition of leaves of grass, he had already become selfish, quoting thoreau on the spine of his book and including his name.
ReplyDeleteIf I we only read his poems, I don't really think that he is that selfish because he says that he is talking for everybody (prostitute to president) so I think that when he says "I", he means every one, the people. So when he says that he is holy and stuff, he really means that humans and what he is talking about are holy. But then if we see how he acts (printing emerson's quote and those newspaper reports on him on the book) we could argue that he is selfish.
ReplyDeleteI think Whitman is trying to move himself away from being self-centered because we clearly saw from talking in class today, that I mean the individual, not necessarily Whitman himself. He also incorporates the work of others into himself and saying that everything connects. He is being self less because he does not see himself as better than anyone else. However, it does sound selfish when he writes about God being no better than him, but that might just be our opinion due to our own society today. Our society today sees God as this almighty power, but would we think that if society didn't influence us in the ways it does?
ReplyDeletei think that whitman is selfless because he writes for everyone and he includes everybody in his writing. in song of myself he constantly uses the word i but when he uses i it is not about himself. i is used to mean everybody. he includes all possible opposites in his poem and he couldn't possibly be all of those opposite things. he leaves nobody out of his writings and includes everyone and is a selfless writer
ReplyDeleteI think Whitman is a combination of the two. Sometimes he uses the I to represent all of the people and their beliefs. At other times he praises himself and writes about his abilities. In my personal opinion his poetry feels a little more self centered than self less.
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