Wow Walt | Whitman's Journals
Needless to say, Walt Whitman is one of the most timeless poets to have been published. Though I have only started to read his poems with this class, I have thoroughly enjoyed every one I have read so far. Each are all equally thought provoking, and personally, resonate with me. Whitman's ability to manipulate sentences and piece together words have an astonishing effect on the reader, as he plays with time, point of view, and setting to intimately connect with the reader.
The collection of Whitman's notebooks, notes, and doodles located in the Library of Congress give some interesting insight into how Whitman was able to develop and write so many poems during his lifetime. The notes in particular demonstrate Whitman's thought process in creating each of his pieces, especially as they show how he captured his observations about the world in writing as soon as he could. For example, this can been seen in the little notes he jotted down on the backs of envelops, scrap pieces of paper, anything he could find to capture his thoughts during that moment in time.
Whitman also proved himself to be talented in more ways than one, using his pencil to sketch in addition to writing, he also demonstrates his ability to draw quite realistic sketches of himself and other characters. These sketches capture my attention the most as it reveals what may be going on in Whitman's head, in order for him to write such profound poems. The most captivating sketch is the last caricature of the man in the top hat, his use of shading and form creates this ominous character that may have been the physical depiction the everyman Whitman constantly describes in LoG.
In addition, the documents in this collection of Whitman's journals also reveal how observant he was as an individual in order to encapsulate the message he was trying to convey in his work. The themes of mortality, war, peace, religion, and the journey through life all make connections in this part of Whitman's journal. His observations specifically show a direct correlation between what he conveys in his poems to what he had observed in life during the mid 19th century in America.
While discovering more of Whitman's works, it always fascinates me how he is able to write in such a timeless manner that is applicable to any reader. The way he pieces together the stanzas, playing with changes in points of view, structure, and punctuation make each of the poems in LoG unique and allows for the reader to draw their own meanings from the words.
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| Portrait of Walt Whitman by Garner HS IB Art Student |
Whitman also proved himself to be talented in more ways than one, using his pencil to sketch in addition to writing, he also demonstrates his ability to draw quite realistic sketches of himself and other characters. These sketches capture my attention the most as it reveals what may be going on in Whitman's head, in order for him to write such profound poems. The most captivating sketch is the last caricature of the man in the top hat, his use of shading and form creates this ominous character that may have been the physical depiction the everyman Whitman constantly describes in LoG.
In addition, the documents in this collection of Whitman's journals also reveal how observant he was as an individual in order to encapsulate the message he was trying to convey in his work. The themes of mortality, war, peace, religion, and the journey through life all make connections in this part of Whitman's journal. His observations specifically show a direct correlation between what he conveys in his poems to what he had observed in life during the mid 19th century in America.
While discovering more of Whitman's works, it always fascinates me how he is able to write in such a timeless manner that is applicable to any reader. The way he pieces together the stanzas, playing with changes in points of view, structure, and punctuation make each of the poems in LoG unique and allows for the reader to draw their own meanings from the words.
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