Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are two of the most celebrated poets in American history. Though their work is often compared, these two writers had very different styles and purposes for their writing. Here, we’ll take a closer look at some of the key differences between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.
For one, Walt Whitman was much more concerned with the external world than Emily Dickinson. His poems often deal with themes of nature, love, and death, while Dickinson’s poems tend to be more introspective and focused on her own thoughts and emotions. This difference is likely due to the fact that Whitman was raised in rural America and had a great love for the outdoors, while Dickinson was born and raised in Massachusetts and didn’t venture outside much.
Another key difference between these two writers is their approach to form and structure. Whitman’s poems are often long and sprawling, full of enjambment and unusual syntax. Dickinson, on the other hand, favored shorter, tighter poems with a more traditional rhyme scheme and meter. This likely reflects their different views on life: Whitman wanted to embrace the chaos of the world, while Dickinson preferred to find order in her own thoughts.
Ultimately, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are two of America’s most beloved poets precisely because they offer such different perspectives on life. By reading both of their works, we can get a richer understanding of our own world and ourselves.
During the early 1800s, there were several writers in American literature who had a huge influence on society, two of them being Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. Although they were both very influential after their deaths due to their poetry depicting America’s transition, many people at the time couldn’t see it.
Walt Whitman was a realist and his poetry showed that, while Emily Dickinson was more mystic and her poetry illustrated that. Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, was very controversial because of its sexual undertones. At the time, sex outside of marriage was seen as morally wrong and something to be hidden.
In Walt Whitman’s poem “I Sing the Body Electric,” he writes about how the body is a “cleansing and invigorating object” and how it is “not one jot less than I am.” This poem caused quite a stir because Walt Whitman was not afraid to talk about something that was considered taboo. On the other hand, Emily Dickinson was much more conservative in her views and this is reflected in her poetry.
In one of her most famous poems, “Because I could not stop for Death,” she talks about how death is something that happens to everyone and how it is something that should be accepted. This poem is significant because it shows how Emily Dickinson was able to talk about death in a way that was seen as more acceptable than Walt Whitman’s view on sex.
Although Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson had different views on what was considered taboo, they were both able to change the way people thought about American literature. Walt Whitman was able to break down barriers with his frank discussion of sex, while Emily Dickinson was able to show that death could be talked about in a more acceptably. Their different views on taboo subjects allowed them to each have a unique perspective that was integral in shaping American literature.
Many distinctions and parallels can be found in the writings of these poets. In order to discover the similarities and differences in Whitman’s and Dickinson’s poetry, one must examine their background, topics, and style. Whitman was a very distinctive individual who followed no other rules but his own thoughts. His personality may be seen in his poetry by looking at his history, themes, and style.
Dickinson was a very private person, who is now known as one of the greatest poets in American history. She too had unique ideas that can be seen by looking at her background, themes, and style of her poetry.
Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, in Long Island, New York. He was the second oldest child of nine children. When Whitman was four his family moved to Brooklyn. As a young man, he worked as a printer’s apprentice and then as a journalist. In 1841, he began working for the New York Mirror, where he wrote poetry under the pen name “Mose Velsor, Western Walt” (“Walt Whitman”).
In 1855, Whitman published a collection of poems called Leaves of Grass. The book was poorly received, but Whitman continued to write and revise it throughout his life. By the time of his death in 1892, Leaves of Grass had become one of the most important books of poetry in American literature.
Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was the youngest child of three children. Dickinson’s father was a successful lawyer and her mother was a housewife. As a young girl, Dickinson was educated at home by private tutors and she also attended Amherst Academy for seven years. After she finished her schooling, Dickinson lived a reclusive life at her family’s home, only leaving to visit close friends and relatives.
In 1862, Dickinson’s friend Thomas Wentworth Higginson published a few of her poems in the Atlantic Monthly without her permission. These poems were met with great acclaim, and Dickinson continued to write poetry throughout her life. She never married or had children. Dickinson died on May 15, 1886, in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Even though Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson were born in different parts of the country and lived very different lives, they shared some similar ideas that are reflected in their poetry. Both Whitman and Dickinson wrote about nature, love, death, and spirituality.
They also both used simple language in their poetry. However, there are some significant differences between their work as well. Whitman’s poetry is very optimistic and positive, while Dickinson’s poetry is more dark and mysterious. Whitman also uses a lot of imagery in his work, while Dickinson’s poetry is more concise.
The biggest difference between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson is their approach to life. Whitman was an outgoing person who loved social interactions, while Dickinson was a private person who preferred to stay at home. This difference is reflected in their poetry as well. Whitman’s poems are about the world around him and the people he meets, while Dickinson’s poems are about her inner thoughts and feelings. Despite their differences, both Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson were great American poets who had a profound impact on literature.
Both Whitman and Dickinson were exceptionally different people who, despite their differences, appeared to find common themes. Whitman went outside himself and assisted during the civil war, whereas Dickinson stayed inside virtually all of the time as seen in “O Captain! My Captain!” and “I heard a fly buzz,” which is strikingly different from each other’s life stories.
Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are two of the most important poets of their time periods, but they have completely different writing styles. Walt Whitman is known for his long, flowing lines while Emily Dickinson’s poems are short and often strange. Walt Whitman wrote about America and its people while Emily Dickinson focused on more personal themes.
Walt Whitman was a man who loved nature and all of humanity while Emily Dickinson was a woman who was afraid of the world outside her door. Though their lives were very different, both Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson were great poets who captured the spirit of their times.