Whitman's+Prose

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The entry “Gifts – Money – Discrimination” revealed Whitman’s optimism and kind heart. He had a geniune desire to help the wounded and “raise their spirits, and show them that somebody cared for them” (Gifts). The fact that he “felt a fatherly or brotherly interest in them” relates to his poem “Reconciliation” because in it he expresses his belief in the unity of all people and the bond of brotherhood that holds them together. Whitman has faith in “generous benevolence of men and women in the United States,” a positive attitude that is also seen in “Song of Myself.” His hope for the goodness of mankind gives him the desire to do his part in helping others. In the entry “My Preparation for Visits,” Whitman explains that the most effective way to help others was to have a cheery disposition. He was not only an optimistic person, but also cheerful at times, which contrasts the solemn tone of his poems such as “Reconciliation” and “Beat! Beat! Drums!" Another interesting entry was “One of the Human Kinks.” In this entry, Whitman describes the tendency of humans to be watchful when they are alone. This seems to contradict the Transcendentalist belief that a person is able to develop intuitive knowledge best when alone. He describes uneasiness in solitude, which is the opposite of the Transcendentalist belief. Another prose entry of Whitman's was "Female Nurses for Soldiers", which was a surprising piece of writing. It is unusual that a man from this time would write about women with as much respect, let alone take notice to their hard work, as he did in "Female Nurses for Soldiers". His prose writing was written with elaboration and formality, much like his poetry. Whitman's ideas and opinions are beyond his time, since he is able to respect all people even though the society around him may not. This piece parallels to his views of African Americans as people who should be treated with respect, because society saw women at this time as inferior to men and Whitman was able to see beyond that as he did with African Americans. Another one of his entries is entitled “Happiness and Raspberries”, which was quite different from most of the other pieces he wrote. This piece was not as factual or dry as some other pieces on formal observation, making it enjoyable. This entry was a vivid description in which Whitman put across a clear picture of his surroundings in only about three sentences.

When reading Whitman’s prose entries, his “Summer of 1864" entry stood out. This particular entry best embodied the nature and style of his prose writings. In this piece, Whitman describes a day volunteering at a hospital. It gave a perfect example of him as a person, and the time in which he lived. Whitman’s prose written in his adult life is similar to journal entries and explications of philosophical theories; they were not fictional, but descriptions of everyday activities and observations discussed in a very straightforward manner. There was a vast difference between his adult writings and the writings of his youth, such as “Dumb Kate,” a completely fictional and flowery story. Whitman’s writings were influenced by the time in which they were written, and seemed to exude the atmosphere and emotional state of the situations described; when speaking of the Civil War, the writing seemed informative, but dry, and when speaking of Whitman’s childhood home, the writing was uplifting and discussed natural surroundings. Whitman’s later prose shared many of the same characteristics as his poetry, and had the same straightforward style. It seemed like he was using prose to observe and gather information for his other works. He was very much interested in helping others, which is a quality that can only be discovered from his personal accounts such as the times he helped wounded soldiers in the hospitals. Whitman's writings about assisting in hospital wards also reveals his growing opposition to war. Nature served as his only consolation for the soldiers' pain as his frequent walks allowed him to reflect and escape the gloomy hospital ward because "death is in there." His realization of the atrocities of war proves his understanding of some of society's flaws and where change needs to happen.

One of Whitman's prose writing, "Death of William Cullen Bryant," which was about none other than the death of the Fireside Poet, William Cullen Bryant. This piece was not solemn or melancholy; there was a sense of peace and calmness. Whitman's reaction to death was neither one of loony nor anger. Instead, Whitman reminisced about the experiences he shared with Bryant. Descriptions such as "plenty of space of sky, birds chirping, and air comparatively fresh and odorless" of New York showed how Whitman had a inspirational outlook on life, not letting the announcement of another's death stop him from doing that ("Death of William Cullen Bryant"). Whitman, like many other Transcendentalists, was able to take death lightly.

Whitman also addresses death with his prose writing "By Emerson's Grave", expressing the respect he has for death and Emerson. In this prose Whitman expresses Transcendentalist ideas that death should not be feared because an individual is returning back to nature. Whitman states that he wishes to continue Emerson’s “daily work” (“By Emerson’s Grave”) which emphasizes his admiration for Emerson, and his willingness to carry on his Transcendentalist beliefs.

Meanwhile, Hours for the Soul exhibits prose that one would expect Whitman to write. He seems to be expressing genuine care for Transcendentalist ideals, focusing on how his unity in nature allows him to learn an unknown lesson. Nature becomes a teacher of unknown lessons to Whitman’s soul in this passage, and when he gazes upon the Milky Way, the idea of an oversoul that unites many beings into one larger collective is present. He cleverly ties his soul with the end of a day, or evening, and then with daybreak as well. This dualism is prominent in Whitman’s writing. Later he ties the human soul to the East, a direction that was always considered exotic, expansive, and unexplored, yet utterly unique. Finally, he ends the piece by connecting the soul with stars again, stressing their detached supremacy and beauty. It is interesting that Whitman finds so many ways to describe the nature of the soul. Why does he desire to do so? Whitman makes the human soul seems something so relatable and close, yet at the same time, so far and unknown.

Two of Whitman’s entries, “Wounds and Diseases” and the “Death of President Lincoln”, are very relatable because they each speak of the good and bad during the time of Lincoln, and reflect his decision making and sacrifices. Whitman states his own opinion of seeing Lincoln as an honorable man, but he also included negative conditions as well. Even though he spoke of the sick and wounded and Lincoln’s faults, he still supported his view by also including the bright side of the President’s decisions and the war. Whitman describes Lincoln as being “the greatest, best, most characteristic, artistic, moral personality.” Even though he admits his faults, he still had a strong belief in Unionism and “he seal’d it with his life” after being killed because of the changes he had made. Whitman points out that sometimes in order to achieve something good, negative effects come with it. Lincoln was uncertain of the support others had for his decisions, but he did know that what he was doing was moral and ethically correct. Lincoln had to make his executive decision and stick with it knowing that violence and illness could result in the change because of the controversial opinions.

Much of Whitman’s prose writing is center around President Abraham Lincoln. Some of the texts about Lincoln include: “Abraham Lincoln,” “Death of President Lincoln,” and “O Captain My Captain.” These works were centered on commemorating Lincoln for all the good he had brought to the United States. Lincoln’s involvement in freeing the slaves from the south and fighting the battle for equality were important factors in Whitman’s thinking.

Walt Whitman's prose entries entitled “Convulsiveness” and “Cedar-Apples” are remarkably similar to his poems and display his views of his life. In his “Convulsiveness,” he titles his entry with a single word and proceeds to analyze it in his writing. Just as he does in his poem “Reconciliation,” Whitman speaks of the word as a whole, and evaluates its use by saying that it “best described” his situation and previous entries. He also speaks in both writings of the nature of war as a sporadic struggle between periods of excitement, violence, and forgiveness. His word choice is somewhat surprising, for a convulsion is a violent fit or disturbing muscle contraction. Although the war is indeed a disturbing and violent situation, many of his entries speak of his emotional encounters with soldiers, nurses, musicians, and lieutenants, situations which are certainly peaceful and filled with love. Whitman’s “Cedar-Apples” is a true testament of his belief in nature as a source of goodness. Amidst his journey through the hospitals of injured and killed soldiers, and with his poetry career rising, the author thought it important to take time from his busy life to chronicle the beauty of the natural world around him. Although this work was not geared toward publication or profit, he felt it would be essential to notice the gifts the over-soul had given him.Whitman’s claim that the apples will “soon crumble and fade” also describes a similarity to his poetry including "Reconciliation." Maintaining a positive and airy attitude throughout the first several lines of his writing, he suddenly shifts to the harsh reality of the life of the apple, and moves into the realization that all life will eventually corrode and leave the earth. As he does in his poem “Reconciliation,” Whitman begins speaking of the beauty of nature and an ideal word, but soon progresses into the reality that is death.

In Walt Whitman's prose entry entitled “Female Nurses for Soldiers” he addresses the need for America to break the prejudiced barriers that it has. He acknowledges that ‘There are plenty of excellent clean old black women that would make tip-top nurses” which proves that Whitman was against slavery. Although Whitman didnt fight in the Civil War, he was apart of it. This reflection on what he saw proves that Whitman has a Liberal mind, and was for equality in all people

Whiman's prose writing had a very active feel, as opposed to the relaxed and peaceful tone given off by other transcendentalist texts, although an exception to this was "Bumble Bees" which discussed nature like a mother that taught and nurtured him and acted as a peaceful escape from the chaos of society. This movement is not limited to his prose writing, but also is noticeable in his poems, such as "When I Heard the Learned Astronomer" in which the speaker recalls that "rising and gliding out I wander'd". Ths feeling was directly addressed in "The Great Unrest of Which we are a Part." Whitman believes that "the processes of growth, of existence, of decay, whether in worlds, or in the minutest organisms, are but motion".

Two entries from Walt Whitman's Prose, “Two Brothers, One South, One North” and “Colors – A Contrast”, because both show a different side of Whitman. In “Two Brothers, One South, One North”, Whitman shares his compassion and love with everyone. It was surprising to see that he did not discriminate or judge others on account of differences of opinions. He respected others’ opinions, and he believed that all beings are united, like the brothers at the time of their death. This idea of unity can also be found in Whitman's //Song of Myself//. When the speaker says, “each died for his cause” (Whitman), it was interesting to see the amount of respect shown for the soldiers. However, in “Colors – A Contrast”, Whitman reveals a side of him that is very observing and appreciative of nature, showing a part of his Transcendentalist beliefs. He believes that nature is beautiful and fascinating, ever-changing and composed of a variety of colors. This entry can be helpful to others because it can make people realize that nowadays they are always looking to the future and never really take time to appreciate all the goodness that is taking place around them. In both entries, Whitman spelled things differently and still expressed his own beliefs, which supports the fact that Whitman is unique, different, and separate from society.

Although Whitman's poetry is different from Whitman's prose, his prose contains similarities with his poetry. In his prose work "Cedar-Apples" and "Bumble Bees", Whitman is very descriptive and his writing flows smoothly from description to description. The words and phrases that Whitman uses to express his thoughts and create imagery make his prose writing sound poetic. Whitman also frequently uses parentheses. In a sense, Whitman is using parentheses to give the reader extra notes, something else to think about, or he uses to emphasize a particular point in his writing. For instance, in "A Quintette", he emphasizes "perfectly dry and comfortable, to the rattle of the drops all around." He uses the parentheses as the main focus of what he is writing about. He also does this in Section Six of //Song of Myself// in his contemplation on nature.

In "Jaunting to Canada", Whitman has decided to travel here to observe an asylum. It is thought that Whitman went to hospitals in order to witness multiple views on the effects of war as well as to hear everyone’s story in order to experience the reality of the Civil War and it's real effects on the participants. Whitman takes great pleasure in observing people, as he sees human beings as his most prominent inspiration next to nature, in his writings. When in the asylum Whitman describes the patients as “common humanity”. Asylums are supposed to be packed with obviously crazy people one would imagine, but to Whitman's eyes these people are the same as everyone else. Perhaps this thought was influenced by the fact that his brother was assigned to a mental hospital and therefore has empathy and chooses not to look down upon the patients. This acceptance and curiosity is provoked by the belief of over-soul in which the human race is one and all people are connected. Why would Whitman, a passionate transcendentalist, condemn a man to be less equal than himself if they are connected? Whitman's view was that all different types of people were necessary to make life complete, just as education is not complete without learning from nature in addition to formal education. These observations along with the transcendental belief of over-soul has granted Whitman with a more socially modern outlook on people during his time. The fact that he was also homosexual even further proves this point as Whitman begins to represent a mindset were all humans are equal.

In the prose “Western Soldiers,” Walt Whitman identifies western soldiers as animal-like, referring to them as mentally and physically slow, large, and not alert was interesting and sparked contemplation on why Whitman would do such a thing. Whitman is associating the soldiers with the Wild West, where nature remains untouched and is a prime location for nature to serve a source of knowledge and guidance in one’s life. They seem more animal-like because they are forced to live a more physical life, where mental strength holds lesser value. Thus, emotional and spiritual growth can be stimulated in an environment where physical strength holds higher value than mental, because physical activity is often closer associated with nature. Due to Whitman’s reaction to the western soldiers, it was not surprising when he referred to them as “handsome.” This situation is not present anymore because manifest destiny has modernized the west and made physical activity less needed, but in other locations around the world, where physical activity is needed for survival, it remains. Overall, Walt Whitman’s work “Western Soldiers” has personal and universal relevance, which can be seen in the past, present, and future.

Whitman concluded his formal education at a young age, but continued to pursue knowledge and experience elsewhere. In doing so, he surrounded himself with what he loved most, writing and people. His exposure to different kinds of people and different environments shaped much of his writing, so much that his personal traits, such as his keen observation, are evident in his prose. In the opening of "A Visit, at the Last, to R.W. Emerson", Whitman spent an entire paragraph talking about nature and the beauty of his environment. He took the time to emphasize the beauty of the rolling hills and the serenity of the river. He even takes the time to write about the individual blades of grass the sees in the pasture. Whitman was a man who took the time to observe things and people with care. Although seemingly off-topic, Whitman's introduction of nature in a piece of writing that was titled about Emerson was the ultimate tribute to his friend. As an observant man, Whitman knew the value that nature had in the life of Emerson, and wanted to take the time to participate in nature and see it the way Emerson would want the world to see it.

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The entry numbers 72, Boys in the Army, and 121, Sea-Shore Fancies is interesting because they show two of Whitman’s writing styles. Entry 72 is more about a serious and factual subject whereas entry 121 is more relaxed and observant. Entry 72 is especially interesting because it is somewhat comforting to know that people were going through the same troubles in the past that many go through today losing young people to the military and war. It made it much more real that there are more people today going through the same things all together. At one point in the entry Whitman says, “There did not appear to be a man over 30 years of age, and a large proportion were from 15 to perhaps 22 or 23.” This statement relates directly to the amazement that someone so young will be involved in such violence and hardship. Next, in Entry 121, Sea-Shore Fancies, a more relaxed and unwound side of Whitman appears. Being able to relate to the writer is important because one feels more connected to and willing to understand the story being told. It also made Whitman seem more like a normal human and not the distant observer that many readers may see in other works. It shows his more relaxed side and that he does not just lock himself away and write, but he also likes to be out among nature and the sea. However, as should have been expected was the fact that he still found time to write about factual and serious subjects and continue to criticize how the army was run through entry 72.