Uncle Walt
Although Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are often paired together as "New" American poets--they were writing roughly around the same time, and they both broke away from the traditional meter embraced by the Romantics--they varied dramatically from each other in terms of personal and poetic style.
Think back to Emily Dickinson's photograph and her poetry for a moment. Then, click on the following link to browse pictures of Walt Whitman and to read his commentary on his own pictures: http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/s_z/whitman/photos.htm
What can you infer about Walt Whitman from these pictures and captions? What questions do you have about him? How does he differ from Ms. Dickinson?
Think back to Emily Dickinson's photograph and her poetry for a moment. Then, click on the following link to browse pictures of Walt Whitman and to read his commentary on his own pictures: http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/s_z/whitman/photos.htm
What can you infer about Walt Whitman from these pictures and captions? What questions do you have about him? How does he differ from Ms. Dickinson?
posted by Kristin L at 3:09 PM
10 Comments:
I believe that Walt Whitman loved to be alive. Although people told him his face was angry or had lost its love he did not listen to them and said that this is happy face and that he is happy for the world. This differs from Emily Dickinson because Emily secluded herself from society by locking herself in her house. She was not able to love life like Whitman did because she never experienced it. I find it hard to read a poet that did not mingle with society and then writes poems about their problems. Whitman on the other hand loved life and the experience of being alive. I would have to ask Mr. Whitman if he liked any photographs taken of him?
also congrats to me for being #1
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Tyler, you are number two also! I think that Walt looks like someone who would be fun to go out and have a cup of coffee with. Even if he didn't like or drink coffee. He seems to always want to contradict what anyone says anything about his photographs, and what they said about him, I just wonder what he sees in the photos that we are overlooking. I agree with Tyler about the difference between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, such as her lack of vigor and his overflow of it. He didn't always show it in his photos, but he really seemed to have a lot of spirit.
I think that Walt Whitman was a very popular person. He looks like the type of man who was very well off, and very popular with the ladies. I agree with the other posts that he was happy to be alive. He seems like he would fear death, where as Emily Dickinson was infatuated with it. I would like to know where Mr. Whitman lived and where he was from, because some of his pictures are very rustic, whereas some are extremely formal. He has a kind, welcoming face unlike Ms. Dickinson’s cold stone appearance. He seems like a much more social person.
Walt Whitman seemed to have a decent head on his shoulders; where as Emily Dickinson seemed to be disturbed in her photos. Whitman did not need to be alone to create masterpieces where as Emily excluded herself from the world and created isolation.
Walt Whitman seems approachable and open to listening. He appears fun and full of energy. He has many opinions as seen through his captions on the photos. His poems must be full of imagery and insight. How was Walt as a person actually? Did his pictures disguise what he was really like?
Walt Whitman seems very different from Emily Dickinson. Emily Dickinson does not have a very positive outlook on the world. It is almost as if she wants people to feel sorry for her. The impression that I got from the pictures is that Walt Whitman is a very happy, charismatic person. He said, "Somebody used to say I sometimes wore the face of a man who was sorry for the world. Is this my sorry face? I am not sorry-I am glad-for the world." In one of his pictures he looked a little sad, but he said that he didn't want people to think he was sad. The caption said, "He also worried about the portrait because 'Many people think the dominant quality in Harrison's picture is its sadness.'" Whitman seems like a joyful person, but is his poetry happy too? What are most of his poems about?
Through these photographs of Walt Whitman, I feel as if he had a hint of Debbie Downer about him, but not near as much as Emily Dickinson. In some of the photos he looks genuinely content to be alive, while in others he looks depressed, gloomy, and lonely very similar to that of Dickinson. Unlike Dickinson, he states in many pictures that he looks frail and sad when that was the exact opposite of what he truly felt. I feel as if he had split personalities. One side of him seems fun and adventurous while the other half appears serious and unwilling to try new things. I also feel as if there is something he is trying to hide from the general public about his personal life. Whitman differs from Dickinson because he is not nearly as dark as she is and he seems much more excited about life and openly happy about everything.
If it wasn’t for the comments about the photo’s make by Walt, I would say that Emily and Walt look like they have the same sad lives. The comments made about the photos by Walt makes me believe that he was a very happy fun man, who loved life and loved the world. He talked about his friends and make jokes about his good and bad photos. I believe that he would be a person who would say, “ life is too short, so make the most of it”. Judging Walt by his cover I think would give a lot of people the wrong idea about him because he looks boring and uptight on the outside but the comments show how he is fun and friendly on the inside.
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He is like a unkempt mountain man who is one with nature. His style is its my life if you dont like it then thats your problem. He differs from Dickenson because he is very mysterioius and unknown. Not plain at all. His beard gives him an old mature look which in a way commands respect.
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