Similarities Between Common Man And Walt Whitman

Along with social status, discrimination is another differing factor that distinguishes the two poems’ point of views. In “I Hear America Singing”, the unjust treatment of other races or ethnicities, also known as discrimination, is completely glossed over and ignored. This is due to the fact that Whitman believes all Americans are treated equally.

When describing democracy, it can be related to ideals that empower the people, such as: fairness, representation, equality, opportunity, and freedom. In the early 1800’s, these democratic ideals began to transform American culture and politics as they seemed to suffuse every aspect of society. By the 1820’s and 1830’s, America even attracted the interest of many foreigners who were impressed by the democratic character of life. They were surprised by the equality of conditions and saw American society as far more egalitarian than any society in Europe (Keene, 228). This new wave of democracy also thrived through politics and by 1828, almost every single state chose their presidential elector by letting

Born ten years after the death of Walt Whitman, there was no possible way for Langston Hughes to ever meet or communication with Whitman, but that did not mean Hughes could not establish a connection to him, or at least his work. In 1925, Hughes wrote a poem titled “I, Too” was inspired by and directed in response to the poem “I Hear America Singing”, which was composed by Whitman much earlier. Whitman’s poem consisted of a variety of different American laborers who “sing” as they do their jobs. This well-known poem never specifically addresses the ethnicity of these singing laborers of the American population, but Hughes sets about to rectify that omission.

The idea of an equal America exists no more. Regardless of the fact that there is a plethora of varying perspectives dividing the country into two, there are words and phrases that are generally accepted in viewing our country from the rest of the world. First, the American Dream is regularly associated with equal opportunity, prosperity, and liberty. Walt Whitman, as well as many others, have written about this desired America for the socially accepted American. He is often referred to as “America’s Poet,” who amplifies the elegant qualities of America that we believe to be true. It is obvious that Whitman portrays America as an alive and colorful place full of chance and flourishment throughout his work. “I Hear America Singing” is a prime example of an America that is only seen from the surface, where Whitman clearly indicates that the United States is a country where all its citizens are able to achieve equality and liberty. Contradictory, Sharon Olds poem, “On the Subway,” proves the lack of individual liberty, which deteriorates the growth of the country, ultimately opposing the America, where personal freedom is the foundation. Olds’ poem pokes holes in the surface that shows the controversial interior that truly makes up America that Whitman painted beforehand. Olds and Whitman also illustrate varying insight regarding personal liberty and its importance in two opposing poems; one who proclaims it as easily attainable and necessary to the country and the other who

Whitman wrote broad stanzas and focused on the whole of America as his inspiration. His lines covered a wide range of topics and generated multiple points of view for the reader. He called his life’s work “Leaves of Grass”; stressing the

Democracy, as defined in American Government: Power and Purpose, is “a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the selection of key public officials.” In the centuries before and since its founding, the United States has indubitably had undemocratic elements. In colonial times, the thirteen colonies’ government derived most of its authority from the elites, depriving many of those residing in lower socioeconomic classes from a voice in government. During the time of the American Revolution,

American politics has proved to be flawed in structure over, and over again. Although our founding fathers had the best intentions when they implemented democracy, they like most modern day politicians, failed to actually make things better. Yes we gained our Independence, but with the ability to make our own choices we tend to make childish and impulsive decisions. The election of Donald Trump stands to be the most recent of those mistakes, and the politicians who work for him are either blinded or full of regret. Poets Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Robert Lowell paint vivid pictures of these very mistakes that seem to recur with the thought of democracy.

In “Song of Myself” Whitman attempts to speak on behalf of the entire American population. He tries to pull the reader into a world of many possibilities. Whitman makes a

What is a democracy? The denotative meaning of this is a type of government where the power is held by the citizens, and not by a single individual. Is it the best system? I do not know. However, everyone has a different point view about it, so did Walt Whitman. The author, for example, loved it and decided to celebrate it through his poems. In “A noiseless patient spider”, “I Hear America Singing”, and in “ When I Heard The Learn’d Astronomer”, Whitman uses themes, and catalogs to reflect his feelings about U.S. democracy.

In “I Hear America Singing,” Walt Whitman’s message of the American identity is that it is diverse and proud. The fact the American identity is diverse is proven best in the first line, which states, “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear.” In this line, the word “varied” proves that it is diverse because if something is varied it has a variety of things amassing it. The American identity being proud is proven by the line, “Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else.” This line proves that the American identity is proud because it is saying that we celebrate what only we have. This celebration evinces that we are proud of what we gain by working.

From this poem one can feel the compassion that Whitman has for the common American workingman. He has much respect for him and believes that he is what makes up America and what causes America to keep on moving. He portrays the workers to all be singing to emphasize that they are proud of the work that they do. Whitman and Sandburg both enjoy going through and naming each of the workers separately in order to display the vast number of people who fall into the working class. In the poem above you can see how Whitman talks about how the different workers enjoy their jobs and are happy with the talents that they have in their specialized positions. The last line of part 1 demonstrates how the workers leave their work and are able to relax and enjoy their lives at night when the work day is over. The second part of I hear American Singing is Whitman sending an invitation to all of those who are

In the poem "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman, the reader envisions a country of people working for the greater good of mankind. These people come together as part of the whole society developing industry and production. Each person has a different occupation, but each job is important to the bigger picture. The bigger picture and theme being that of a country in which everyone is working together to create a successful and harmonious civilization.

“I celebrate myself, and sing myself / and what I shall assume you shall assume” (Whitman 1-2). These lines not only open up the beginning of one the best poems of the American Romantic period, but they also represent a prominent theme of one of this period’s best poet, Walt Whitman. In Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, Whitman deals with his time period’s most prominent theme of democracy. Whitman tells readers that they must not only observe the democratic life but they must become one with it. As Whitman states, “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” (3). Democracy provides a connection with all people. It is as if Joseph Stella felt this connection and decided to depict it in his collection of paintings entitled “Americans in the Rough.” The individual is of no greater or lesser worth than anyone else. Beatrice Marovich states that, “It is a song for fellow Americans, about the American body politic” (349). An analysis of Song of Myself portrays that understanding and becoming one with democracy through political collectivity essentially sets the stage for the American democratic self. Joseph Stella does a great job of interpreting and depicting Whitman’s ideals of democracy through his illustrations representing every facet of an American democratic life.

The third connection that I concluded between a certain poem to American Individualism was found in Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing”. In this poem, I felt as though Whitman was describing the working class as hard workers. And how everyone is happy with helping the economy of America grow. The jobs listed in this poem are a carpenter, mason, boatman, etc. I notice that these jobs are jobs that are not looked upon as important. But no matter the circumstances these workers still choose to work these kinds of jobs. In line five, Walt Whitman describes a boatman singing cheerfully as he starts his day. “The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat.”(5)This shows the happiness of a boatman and how he enjoys his job. And even how society may view his job as unimportant, he still enjoys his job. He enjoys his job because he’s trying his best to achieve the American Dream. I know the struggles that my parents had to deal, They had to put aside their race and

By analyzing the democracy in Walt Whitman’s poetry it is important to first analyze the origins of democracy. Language in the reviews of Leaves of Grass in the mid-nineteenth-century reflect a sense of nostalgia. Society was nostalgic