Essay Differences Between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson

Differences Between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinsons works have numerous differences. Compared to Dickinsons short and seemingly simple poems, Whitmans are long and often complex. Both pioneered their own unique style of writing. Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson both have been hailed as original and unique artists. They each have distinctive voices that many have attempted to replicate and have been unable to do so. Whitman wrote in epic like proportions; he developed his own rhythmic structure, creating complex lines and stanzas. Whitmans style of free verse become synonymous with his name and works, and helped distinguish him as a great American poet. By using free verse poetry, Whitman tore down†¦show more content†¦When the skipper cannot bear the tragic scene no more, and decides to save all the stricken passengers, Whitman uses a Biblical allusion to add a deeper meaning to the skippers heroic act. How he followd them and tackd with them three days and would not give it up, how he saved the drifting company at last (Whitman 1). The skippers strife to save the drifting passengers for three days is an allusion to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Bible, Jesus dies to save mankind from sin, and resurrects three days later. Whitman uses this Biblical allusion to bring the skipper up to the level of Jesus Christ, making the two saviors equal. As the skipper looks onward at the faces of the survivors, Whitman applies imagery to describe the passengers. How the silent old-faced infants and the lifted sick, and the sharp-lippd unshaved men (Whitman 1). The passengers that survive the ship wreck are no longer the same people that stepped foot on that ship. The image of old babies doesnt describe their age, but their sense of maturity, even though babies cannot be mature. Likewise, the image of the sharp-lippd unshaved men doesnt describe their lips and hair, but their burden of being unable to save their own families from the storm, even though that is the duty of a father. At first, it may seem as if the skipper is the sole hero in the poem, but that is not the case. Through Song of Myself, WhitmanShow MoreRelatedDeath, a Theme in Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman  ´s Poetry1145 Words   |  5 PagesWalt Whitman and Emily Dickinson’s poetry is very different; however death seems to be a familiar topic amongst both poets. Opposites attract, and you could say the same for Whitman and Dickinson because though they have different writing styles both repeatedly write about death. Once more, although both Whitman and Dickinson have many different feelings about death, they also share many similar feelings about it as well. Although Walt Whitmans poetry is rather long and quite simple and Emily DickinsonsRead MoreEmily Dickinson and Walt Whitman: Dissimilar Poets Establish Unique Writing Style1682 Words   |  7 PagesEmily Dickinson and Walt Whitman both were American poets who lived in the 19th century who strayed from the traditional style of writing poetry and formed their own individual style of writing which became the unique American style of poetry. Their lifestyles and writing styles were extremely different, as they shared litt le in common. The dissimilarities in these two poets are in the way they composed their poems and possibly in the content of the poems. Whitman established a unique style inRead More Dickinson vs Whitman Essay611 Words   |  3 PagesDickinson vs Whitman Two Poets, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are probably two of the most influential people in American poetry. They are regarded as the founders modern American poetry. 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