Journal #42 Whitman vs. Dickinson

If i lived in the time of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, and i had to choose which poet i enjoyed to read more, i would probably chose to read Whitman more than i would like to read Dickinson. This is true because of many reasons. First, i would much rather read the works of Walt Whitman than Emily Dickinson because i usually tend to enjoy the things that Walt Whitman writes about much more than Emily Dickinson and also Whitman tends to have a much more interesting point of view on his poetry than Emily Dickinson does. For example, within his poetry, especially the works on nature, Whitman tends to describe what thew setting, or what he is writing about means to him almost. Within his poetry, he creates something special for the reader by making very interesting comparisons that he finds in nature to real life. To me, this leaves a better impression on me, and it also creates a type of personalized tone that only he is able to establish. On the other hand, when I read Dickinson's poetry. It tends to be wrapped around her own small, isolated, world which is a place that i cannot comprehend to be. For example, even though when Dickinson writes, she tends to relate things to other things in the world, i cannot really comprehend what she is trying to say in a lot of poetry simply because when i read her writing, it seems like she is in a world of her own, which she nearly is. This i cannot really relate to in her poetry, and therefore, i really do not like the writing of Emily Dickinson. The other reason why i tend to like Whitman's writing more than the writing of Dickinson is because is because i tend to like the type of language that is used within the works of Whitman. When i read the poetry of Whitman, i tend to feel more in tune with him because of the clear words that he uses to describe his emotions and what he is writing about.

Analysis of "Nature, the gentlest mother"

After reading the poem, "Nature,the gentlest mother," by Emily Dickinson, it is very clear for the reader, that Dickinson was in love with nature. In fact from this poem, it can almost be inferred that Dickinson was fascinated with nature. In this poem, Dickinson compares nature to a mother, by using personification("Emily"). When beginning to read this poem, the reader or audience would wonder why Dickinson was comparing nature with a mother. Well judging from the tone of the poem, Dickinson tends to believe that nature is very soothing and also very relaxing. For example, within the poem, the author states, "NATURE, the gentlest mother,
Impatient of no child,
The feeblest or the waywardest,—
Her admonition mild(Dickinson)"
From this quote, it is very easy to see the point of view that Dickinson has on nature. From this quote, it is also very clear why Dickinson tends to compare nature to a mother or the instincts and tendencies of a mother. For the rest of the poem, really all that Dickinson is doing is she is making comparisons of how nature relates to beauty by using personification for the reader to give the reader many clear ideas of how beauty relates to nature. For example, in the poem, the author is quotes, "How fair her conversation,
A summer afternoon,-
Her household, her assembly;
And when the sun goes down(Dickinson)."
From this quote, it is very easy for the reader to see some example of hoe the author of this poem, Dickinson, relates simple and other divine things to the concept of nature. For example, when the author compares the idea of the summer afternoon being nature's home, this shows that the author wants to point out that the main thought of nature comes when one thinks of a summer afternoon, or as another example, the heart of nature is seen in a summer afternoon because summer afternoons are so peaceful, beautiful, and divine as well("Emily"). Another quote from this poem that reflects Dickinson's point of view within this poem is as follows, "When all the children sleep
She turns as long away
As will suffice to light her lamps(Dickinson);" From this quote, it is once again very easy for the reader to see the special comparisons that Dickinson makes between nature and the characteristics of a mother. In this quote, the author is referring to stars when she uses the word lamps, because she has said that the children have gone to sleep meaning that it is now night, and that will itself will be enough to bring out these lamps or light them. Finally, Dickinson end the poem by quoting, "Then, bending from the sky,
With infinite affection
And infiniter care,
Her golden finger on her lip,
Wills silence everywhere." In this quote, the author is once referring to the transition in nature from day to night. This quote ends the poem very well because it reflects maternal instincts as well as well as referring to beauty in nature. When the author says "with infinite affection and infiniter care," This is referring to tucking a child into bed("Emily").

Dickinson, Emily. "1. “Nature, the Gentlest Mother.” Part Two: Nature. Dickinson, Emily. 1924. Complete Poems." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. .

"Emily Dickinson Nature Poems for Analysis: Let's Explain Emily Dickinson's Poems." Find Health, Education, Science & Technology Articles, Reviews, How-To and Tech Tips At Bright Hub - Apply To Be A Writer Today! Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . (Dickinson)

Journal 41, Analysis of "A Wounded Deer Leaps Highest"

For my poem analysis, i chose to do the poem "A Wounded Deer Leaps Highest" by Emily Dickinson. Within this poem, Dickinson describes how she met a hunter who describes how the wounded deer leaps the highest. At first, the reader tend to wonder how this makes sense. One would think that since the deer is wounded, that it would not have the energy to leap high, or even have the will or the power to leap at all. Well, this theory is explained in the rest of the poem when the hunter to whom Emily Dickinson is talking to makes comparison to how this effect tends to be true in life. For example, the author states, "The smitten rock that gushes,
The trampled steel that springs:
A cheek is always redder
Just where the hectic stings!" From this quote, it is very easy to see how this interesting comparison comes to be true in life. For example, it tends to be very true that the sting on one's cheek tends to be the most red where it hurts the most. I found this very interesting because this is the point within the poem, where the comparison that a wounded deer jumps the highest begins or finally makes sense to me. To me, this comparison that the hunter makes, makes the most sense to me out of all of the comparisons that the hunter makes throughout this poem. When the author wrote this poem, she could have wanted a reader to look between the words or she may have wanted to make her work stand for something rather than this encounter that she had with the hunter, but i do not think that she actually meant to do this no matter how many other critics may think so. Because the man that she claims to have met was a hunter, it would make perfect sense if this is what literally happened to Dickinson because she seemed to exile herself from society, so if she literally had this experience, then i would not be surprised.

Criticism of "A Glimpse"

After reading the very short poem called 'A Glimpse" by Walt Whitman, it is very easy to see how this poem reflects the many ideas of Self in which Whitman tends to portray within most to all of his literary works. For example, within the poem, Whitman uses the idea of Everyman within this poem to describe the simplicity of the situation in which the author is in and also he describes the people who the situation in which the author is in experiences. Whitman does not explain that these two people have very separate feelings of the situation that they are currently in, but they each have the same feelings in which the other person has. Foe example, in the description that Whitman uses for Self, he goes to describe that everybody within the world shares the same emotions, personalities and desires. Within the idea of Self, everybody is one. This former passage describes the idea of the Everyman because within the poem, the two characters in which the author is referring to share the same emotion to the situation in which they are in, and therefore, this poem reflects the simple idea of the Everyman, which is a topic that is commonly used within Whitman's poems. Another characteristic of Self that is found within the "A Glimpse" is the characteristic of nature. For example, within this poem written by Whitman,the author describes the glimpse of light that he sees and also he describes how the sights in which he sees through the glimpse make him feel. Even though this may be a stretch to reflect to nature, I believe that it does reflect to nature because of the simplicity of the quote. For example, the author states, A GLIMPSE through an interstice caught,
Of a crowd of workmen and drivers in a bar-room around the
stove late of a winter night, and I unremark'd seated in a corner, Of a youth who loves me and whom I love, silently approaching and seating himself near, that he may hold me by the hand,
A long while amid the noises of coming and going, of drinking and oath and smutty jest," From this quote within the poem, it is clear that this quote is very simple, and that the author, Whitman, is using it to reflect the way he feels about what he sees and to describe the simplicity of the scene. This reflects nature because of the simple way in which the author describes the scene. This would be considered nature, because basically in Whitman's definition of nature, it does not have to be outdoors or literally nature to be described as nature within his work. Really, in the definition the Whitman uses to describe nature, it really just has to be something that can be considered simple or divine. Unfortunately, these are the only characteristics that i saw within this work of the idea of Self. It was a very short one, so i understand how he could not fit all of the characteristic in that he wanted.

Criticism of "Bardic Symbols"

So, i read "Bardic Symbols" by Walter Whitman and i must sat that i am completely baffled. I mean, i do not think that this poem makes sense. Literally all that the author is doing throughout this entire poem is just describing nature as he sees it and relating it to other things. Quite frankly, i do not believe that this poem is really that special because in modern times, this is a very very common topic for many poems. I mean, all that the author is really doing throughout this entire poem is just walking through a beach and just reflecting on nature. It is these poem in which i think it is very ridiculous that this author can truly say that he reflects Self within this poem when there are so many others like it. I guess that the main example of Self that is used within this poem is obviously nature because of how much Whitman uses everyday things to relate to the nature that he sees as he is walking along the beach. Another example of Self that is used by the author Whitman within this poem is the idea of the Everyman. For example, within the poem, the author relates to the everyman by uses many examples of nature to relate to the very common emotions of everyday people. In this poem, Whitman truly does relate to the common emotions of people, which does make the poem relate to the everyman, but at the same time, in my opinion, this makes the poem very generic because it seems like Whitman is not really bringing his own ideas to the table when writing the poem. From the fact that that this poem is just about relating nature to very common things and also not bringing his own ideas to the table, as the reader, i found this poem to be very dull because of the generic topic in which the poet writes about.

Reflection on "Trickle Drops"

From the poem "Trickle Drops" written by Whitman, it is very easy to see how this poem reflects the idea of Self in which Whitman commonly uses in his poems and writing. For example, in this poem, Whitman uses many aspects of Self to portray the point that he is trying to get across to the reader, but at the same time, the idea of nature is clearly used most by Whitman in this poem by the way that Whitman uses the idea of blood and the beauty of it in his work. For example, in this poem, Whitman talks a lot about blood to explain the relationship that his life has between beauty and pain within his work or even multiple works(Whitman). He describes the drops as beautiful and divine, and he almost uses the tone of voice that explains that he really truly does want to shed blood, or also enjoys shedding blood because of its natural beauty. Within this poem, Whitman also uses the idea of Everyman to portray the point that he tries to make. For example, within this poem, he may not be referring to himself when describing the beauty of bloodshed and the sense of relaxation that it gives him(Whitman). He may be referring to the pain that the Everyman tends to go through on a daily routine and also may be referring to the idea that every person must have a way of shedding this pain or getting rid of it in someway. This is why Whitman tends to describe the beauty of shedding pain or as he claims, blood, because when the Everyman feels that certain sense of relief when shedding pain, it tends to make something beautiful because of that return to normalcy in which the Everyman experiences after he has been hurt by something, or that relief of pain that the everyman goes through(Whitman). In this poem, even though Whitman tends to be referring to the loss of blood which may sound almost concerning to readers at first, the tone that Whitman uses in the poem almost portrays something else besides bloodshed(Whitman). While the reader could make many comparisons to the idea of bloodshed and debate if Whitman is actually talking about actually bloodshed, The base form of of this idea would not be receiving happiness at the end of a tough period of a life or what not, but it would simply be portraying the idea that people can always overcome certain obstacles(Whitman). This is also what Whitman may be referring to when he reflects on the beauty that bloodshed causes. He may be referring to the beauty of the human factor, or the fact that even in the worst situations(Whitman). The beauty of this is not that people will instantly become extremely happy when this overcoming of obstacles occurs, but the simple beauty is not happiness, but the certain fact that one has shed the blood, or overcome the obstacle, and is ready to move on with his life. (Whitman)

Whitman, Walt. "48. Trickle, Drops. Whitman, Walt. 1900. Leaves of Grass." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. .