Whitman today

A lot of our posts have been analyzing how the ideas of Whitman or the American Romantics in general are viewed in our culture. The society that Whitman lived in considered his work shocking and improper, but in our society we admire originality and we are most interested in the things that shock us. If Leaves of Grass were published today how would our reactions be different from those of the people in Whitman's time, and how have our attitudes towards his ideas changed? What do you consider the most shocking, weird, or interesting theme that Whitman's style embodies?

Equality

In 'Song of Myself' Whitman talks about the idea of what we normally think of opposites. He basically dismisses the idea of opposites and says that we are all the same. Does this hold any truth, and how does it apply today?

Modern Day Romanticism

Both American and British romantics talked about their love of nature, the idea of anti-consumerism, desire to escape from conformity and a love of childhood and innocence. Today, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements to buy products that make us more beautiful and more connected through technology. there is a desire and glamorization of growing up, turning 18 and being an adult. In a culture like this, do you think there are any more true romantics?

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?