Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman Essay - 1248 Words

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman In the twentieth century, the name Walt Whitman has been synonymous with poetry. Whitmans most celebrated work, Leaves of Grass, was the only book he ever wrote, and he took a lifetime to write it. A large assortment of poems, it is one of the most widely criticized works in literature, and one of the most loved works as well. Whitman was unmarried and childless, and it has been noted that Leaves of Grass consumed him greatly; James E. Miller Jr. writes: #8230;he guided his poetic offspring through an uncertain, hesitant childhood, a lusty young manhood, and a serene old age#8230;it is difficult to write the life of Whitman without writing instead of the life and times of his book#8230;Whitman was†¦show more content†¦Out of the cradle endlessly rocking, Out of the mocking-birds throat, the musical shuttle, Out of the Ninth-month midnight#8230; Passage to more than India! Of secret of the earth and sky! Of you o waters of the sea! O winding creeks and rivers!#8230; O day and night, passage to you! (Whitman 180-294) #8230;His use of thee and thou in his poetry, his reference to the months by their sequential number (ninth month for September), and his instinctive adoption of the inner light#8212;all of these Walt could trace back to his Quaker background. (Miller 17) This Quakerism also contributed to the style of Leaves, told with certain closeness and a certain emphasis paralleling that of a preacher. Miller comments on this style: His was a day of evangelism and oratory. As a child he was no doubt frequently exposed to both. The passionate intimacy and pleading of many lines in Leaves of Grass could#8230;have been used by an itinerant preacher#8230; (Miller 43) Aside from his Quaker traces, Leaves of Grass has been criticized as being an extension of Whitmans life. Just as Miller described the work as Whitmans child, John Kinnaird comments on the great level of importance at which Whitman held his masterpiece: #8230;Leaves of Grass suggests so much of the original existential Whitman that criticism must continue to recover and understand, particularly since this is the first poet who ever insisted that his bookShow MoreRelatedLeaves Of Grass By Walt Whitman915 Words   |  4 PagesLeaves on Grass is collection of poems written by an American poet named Walt Whitman. The first edition was published in 1855 but, Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting Leaves of Grass, until his death in 1892 at the age of 72. 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Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, Long Island; to a workingRead MoreWalt Whitman and the Civil War Essay955 Words   |  4 Pages Walt Whitman is a famous poet in American history and the founder of free style of writing poem. He was well-known with his work of Leaves of Grass and Drum-Taps. Walt Whitman was inspired to write poems about Civil War and changed his style of writing after experiencing the horrible result of the war. Walt Whitman was born in West Hills, Long Island, on May 31, 1819. He is the second son of eight siblings in the family. In his early life, Whitman received a formal education until age of 11 becauseRead MoreWalt Whitman And Allen Ginsbergs Poetry1332 Words   |  6 PagesYou say what you want to say when you don t care who s listening.† Walt Whitman was a brilliant writer of his time, a writer that created a voice for the masses to no longer be a mass, but an individual. He was truly a pioneer of his generation, a revolutionary in thought, and this is not his quote. Due to his paralleled lifestyle to Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg learned and drew inspiration from such works as â€Å"Leaves of Grass† to apply towards his own book, â€Å"Howl and Other Poems† in the 1960s.Read MoreEssay about Walt Whitman Changes the Face of Literature1035 Words   |  5 PagesWalt Whitman Changes the Face of Literature When Walt Whitman published the first edition of Leaves of Grass it was received with a wide variety of reactions. From critics to fellow poets the reactions to his first volume were often admiring, but also dubious. This pattern continued with each of the six editions of Leaves. Many wondered where this 36 year-old poet of the people came from. The very way he presented his first volume of poetry was controversial. Whitman presented