发布时间 : 星期三 文章A comparison between Whitman and Dickson更新完毕开始阅读
Counterparts-A comparison between Whitman and Dickson
During the period in American History known as Conflict and Celebration, there were several poets who began to write differently than people had written before. Their writing style was more modern; they broke with traditional styles. Among these poets were Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. They are probably two of the most influential people in American poetry. They are regarded as the founders modern American poetry. They used these new writing styles to express uniquely American ideas. Although both Whitman and dickinson are considered modern writers, their writings can be compared and contrasted in many ways.
Walt Whitman (1819-1892), for the time was breaking new ground with his diverse, energetic verse with regards to subject matter, form and style whether talking about overlooked objects in nature such as a single blade of grass or even our own hearing. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) while living a life of seclusion, never really leaving her birthplace, was very adventurous internally. She was well read in English literature, often deeply exploring her own thoughts.
There are by far more differences in the writing styles of Whitman and Dickinson than there are similarities. One difference is the way they structured their poems. Basically, the structures of Whitman's poem is the lack of any structure. Whitman's poems tend to run on and on; there was no set length for his poems, stanzas, or even lines. Dickinson, on the other hand, wrote poems with a definite structure. She wrote ballad stanzas, which were four line stanzas alternating in iambic tetrameter and trimeter. So the structure of their poems is very different. Another difference between their poetry is the use of rhyme. As with structure, Whitman's poetry has no rhyme. In this way Whitman also breaks from tradition. Dickinson's poems, unlike Whitman's, made use of slant rhyme. This is the use of near or approximate rhymes, and is a relatively modern idea. So this is yet another way in which they differ in style.
While these works by Whitman and Dickinson are different in many ways, a few similarities can be found between the two. Both are associated with the romantic school of poetry in their views on nature, for example, and both emphasize the significance of the individual in society, especially with respect to the self-reliance of that individual.The most obvious of these similarities involves the themes and subject matter of the pieces. Both poems present the idea that life is a continuous and constant circle and that no one is ever really dead as long as he is remembered. Each also suggests that Earth is a living thing which all humans are a piece of in both life and death. Another likeness which can be found in these two poems is the imagery used by the authors. Through Whitman's detailed and vivid description, he allows the reader to form a clear picture of the scene in his head. Likewise, Dickinson use of personification causes the poem to come alive in the reader's mind. Indeed, by observing the themes and imagery found in these two poems, one can see that they do contain some similarities.
One similarity, on the other hand, is their use of modern ideas and concepts in their poetry. One of the poetic \making a list of things in his poetry. An example of this can be found in \Whitman lists all the people that he is, such as \learner with the simplest, a teacher of the thought fullest, A novice beginning . . . a farmer, mechanic, artist, gentleman, sailor . . .\Dickinson's modern \\Though standing alone these two -- enumeration and startling imagery -- are quite different, they
both fall into the same modern category of poetry.
Though these similarities do exist, there are also several quite obvious differences between the two. The most noticeable distinguishment involves the length of the poems. While Whitman's \dust was Gentlemen and Ladies\leave little to the imagination, Dickinson uses very few, carefully selected words, forcing the reader contemplate the meaning of the poem and create his own image of the scene being described. Another outstanding difference between these poems is the rhyme scheme and meter used. Whitman's poem contains no obvious meter or rhyme, but is written freely and without any apparent structure. Dickinson, on the other hand, uses an abcbdefe slant rhyme scheme, as well as an obvious meter. Without a doubt, the styles of writing used by Dickinson and Whitman in these poems contain several differences.
Whitman and Dickinson's poetic styles had many differences yet shared some similarities. One used no structure while the other wrote in ballad stanzas. Whitman used no rhyme; Dickinson used slant rhyme. They both used modern but different concepts in their poems such as enumeration and startling imagery. With similar differences and dissimilar similarities, both contributed to the American literature of the late middle 1800s.
Certainly, by studying these two poems, one can detect several obvious similarities and differences between the two. While the poems are extremely alike in the messages they present, they are as different as can be in other ways. Surely both of these authors will forever be remembered for their contributions to the American literature of the 1800's and to the poetry of today.