Hutchinson Dickinson and Whitman

On the surface, and perhaps a bit deeper, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are two poets who stand at odds against one another. Dickinson's poems are dark, exclusive, lonely, and elitist. Whitman, on the other hand, is jovial, inclusive, public, democratic, and show an overall appreciation for life. They seem to be complete opposites, with absolutely nothing in common, and it's almost certain one would not see these two mingling at a cocktail party, if Dickinson were even to venture to a party in the first place. However, the two do have some things in commons, sharing similarities in form, as well as some thematic tendencies.

Both poets write from the first person, and seem to be speaking to or addressing someone. Dickinson's poem, "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" clearly represents this, as she actually asks a question to whoever it is she is addressing. Whitman also directly addresses an outside person or party. In stanza 5, he addresses and speaks to his soul, "I believe in you my soul," and spends the stanza speaking to his soul as he it was a lover. "Only the lull i like, the hum of your valved voice. / I mind how once we lay such a transparent summer morning, / How you settled your head athwart my hips and gently turn'd over upon me..." For both poets, there is a since of comradery with the person or thing they are addressing. For Dickinson, in all of her humdrum loneliness, excites in the fact that her addressee is a nobody just like her: "I'm Nobody! Who are you? / Are you -- Nobody -- Too? / Then there's a pair of us!" Both poets make that connection personal.

Both Whitman and Dickinson have a reverence for nature, where certain aspects of it get personified in their poems.  Dickinson tackles nature in her poem "I started Early -- Took my Dog." She speaks of the sea as a person, "But no Man moved Me -- til the Tide / Went past my simple shoe... and made as He would eat me up -- / As wholly as a Dew." The sea is the only man that can move her. Whitman does the same in his poem "Song of Myself." He devotes much of his poem to the glories of nature, and even a stanza to the wonders of the sea. In stanza 22 he writes, "You sea! I resign myself to you also - I guess what you mean, / I behold from the beach your crooked fingers, / I believe you refuse to go back without feeling of me... / Cushion me soft, rock me in billowy drowse." Whitman also has a love and devotion to the sea, which he uses and portrays in his poem.  The majesty of nature connects the lonely, private Dickinson and the ecstatic, life loving Whitman. 

Emig Dickinson and Whitman Blog

Though Whitman’s poetry and Dickinson’s poetry operate in very different ways, both writers come from the same timeframe in American history and literature. One literary quality they share includes a fascination with the circularity of both life and death. In the 3^rd part of Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” he states, “I have heard what the talkers were talking/ the talk of the beginning and the end/ But I do not talk of the beginning or the end./ There was never any more inception than there is now,/ Nor any more youth or age than there is now,/ And will never be any more perfection than there is now,/ Nor any more heaven or hell than there is now.” In these verses, Whitman does not appear to be troubled by death or by the actions in his life. Death is a mere part of life; it is a beautiful thing. Whitman admires the beauty of the whole world around him—that includes death. He understands the inevitability of death and accepts it for what it is. In fact, he embraces death later on in his poetry: “Nothing can happen more beautiful than death.” He also states how he will return to the grass, and people will walk over him. This is the circularity of death we see from him. Dickinson also embraces this mindset. In the opening stanza of “Because I could not stop for Death,” Dickinson states, “Because I could not stop for Death/ He kindly stopped for me/ The Carriage held but just Ourselves/ And Immortality.” In these lines, Dickinson recognizes the inevitability of death by stating that he kindly stopped for her. This language shows her acceptance, as well. Death is death; it is unavoidable and imminent. However, Dickinson goes on to acknowledge immortality, which illustrates the circularity of death. As a fervent, religious woman, Dickinson strongly believes that after death comes eternal life. Again, this language of death and immortality show the circularity of death she and Whitman share.

         Both writers share an appreciation for the natural world around them. Countless lines of both writers’ poetry could be cited to illustrate this central quality. Both writers use eloquent language and imagery to explain the world around them. It becomes evident that they hold the beauty of nature in the highest of regards. Though imagery is widespread, I will point to one particular poem of Dickinson’s that summarizes her appreciation of nature without using excessive imagery or eloquent language. In Dickinson’s “This is my letter to the World,” Dickinson essentially writes a letter to the world (both the natural world and her fellow people), asking others to recognize and foster the beauty seen in nature, which has been given to us by God. The first stanza, “This is my letter to the World/ That never wrote to Me --/ The simple News that Nature told --/ With tender Majesty,” expresses her concern for the world due to the mere fact that she is driven to write such a letter. I believe the “News” in this poem resembles the good news of the gospels. This line connects nature with the power of divinity (God). With religion such a powerful force at this time, regarding God in relation to nature reaffirms Dickinson’s love of nature, her opinion of people’s disregard for nature, and the very real connection that exists between nature and God people too often forget. Love of God and love of nature go hand in hand for Dickinson. Switching gears, it is clear Whitman has a love of nature. We see this from the very beginning of “Song of Myself.”  However, the 16^th section of the poem takes us on a trip around the United States. From California to Louisiana to Kentucky to Vermont, we see glimpses of the natural world in each of these places: woods, hills, lakes, bays, coal mines, and snow all perpetuate throughout the country, creating countless images of nature in the readers’ minds. In the 17^th section, Whitman states, “These are really the thoughts of all men in all ages and lands, they are not original with me/ If they are not yours as much as mine they are nothing, or next to nothing, / If they are not the riddle and the untying of the riddle they are nothing, / If they are not just as close as they are distant they are nothing. / This is the grass that grows wherever the land is and the water is, / This the common air that bathes the globe.” For me, these two stanzas show Whitman’s appreciation, love, and awareness of nature and of his country’s unending beauty, in general. Though there is no real connection to the divinity of nature like we see from Dickinson, we still know both hold nature in high regard.

         Lastly, both writers have a seeming God-complex in their works. “This is my letter to the World” and “My life closed twice before its close—“ both illustrate this notion. In “This is my letter to the World,” one could assume (after a few reads) that she is attempting to channel God’s message through her poetry. Though Dickinson is known for her random punctuation and capitalization, in the line, “That never wrote to Me,” I believe the Me is capitalized to assert the presence of God in this poem. Furthermore, in “My life closed twice before its close,” I believe God could be the speaker of that poem as well. God is an infinite being, and is immortal. The lines, “My life closed twice before its close --/ It yet remains to see/
If Immortality unveil/ A third event to me,” possibly could parallel the trinity, “a third event” being Jesus’ rising from the dead, displaying his immortality. Heaven and hell also exist in this poem, so I believe the presence of those words lends to this theory. In Whitman, the lines of the 50^th section, “Do you see O my brothers and sisters? / It is not chaos or death - it is form, union, plan - it is eternal life - it is Happiness,” sound as if Whitman were God speaking to his followers. He speaks of his no fear mentality of death as if he were Jesus walking out of the tomb on the 3^rd day. Though this is only one example, this God-complex perpetuates throughout the poem. The next section starts, “The past and present wilt - I have fill'd them, emptied them./ And proceed to fill my next fold of the future.” God is past, present, and future. He is all-knowing and infinite. The “I” in this line clearly resonates with the voice of God and him ruling his iron fist. I mean, he looks like our image of God in a weird way. Am I right?

O'Donnell Dickinson Whitman

The work of  Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are similar in their views on death. Both authors believe that many do not live their lives to the fullest, and perhaps, meet their dying day wishing they had done more. One example of  this is Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death." In this poem, the narrator is meets death on her way down the road, and she realizes that her time is up and she has not given herself much time to really appreciate her life leading up to this moment. Dickinson writes, "We slowly drove, he knew no haste/ And I had put away/ My labor and my leisure too,/ For his civility." Whitman also discusses this subject in his poem, "Song of Myself." He writes, "Perhaps you have been on it since you were born and did not know,/ Perhaps it is everywhere on water and on land./ Shoulder you duds dear son, and I will mine, and let us hasten/ forth." Here, he discusses his road to death, suggesting that he, like Dickinson, was also too busy for death. 

It is clear that both authors believe that death is, obviously, inevitable, but also not something to be feared. Walt Whitman in "Song of Myself" alludes to the fact that death is a beautiful, spiritual journey. He writes, "And mark the outlet, and mark the relief and escape./ And as to you Corpse I think you are good manure, but that does not / offend me,/ I smell the white roses sweet-scented and growing,/ I reach to the leafy lips,/ I reach to the polish'd breasts of/ melons." Here he mentions his physical body becomeing manure and his spiritual body ascending into a better place. Then he says, "Do you see O my brothers and sisters?/ It is not chaos or death - it is form, union, plan - it is eternal/ life - it is Happiness." Emily Dickinson too clearly believes that her spirit will live on in the next life. She writes in "Because I could not stop for Death," "We paused before a house that seemed/ A swelling of the GROUND/ The roof was scarcely visible/The cornice in the ground." This line lets the reader know that this character only pauses by her final resting place, because the real her will live on somewhere else.

One last thing that both authors do is compare misery with death. It is clear that both authors believe that death is not the only "death," but that many terrible things in one's life could be compared to one's end. Dickinson writes in "My life closed twice before its close," " My life closed twice before its close--/ It yet remains to see/ If immortality unveil/ A third event to me." Here, it could be that this author is speaking of a death of a person close to her, an emotional death. Whitman also touches on that by writing, "(No doubt I have died myself ten thousand times before)." Here, the author compares misery to death. Because he has experienced misery in his life, death is not as frightening. 

McGowan Dickinson Whitman

Perhaps the most obviously shared quality between the two poets is their shared interest in the existence of immortality. Whitman believes that the human soul is one and the same with the body. He sees the body as an essentially eternal enigma, which lives on through the nutrients nature extracts from it. "I am the mate and companion of people, all just as immortal and fathomless as myself", suggests that, like Emerson, Whitman has a pantheistic world view. Whitman sees all things and all people as interconnected parts of a universal whole. Dickinson has a somewhat different, more cynical take on eternity as seen in "Because I could not stop for Death". Like Whitman, Dickinson sees death as a sort of entrance into immortality. 
Because I could not stop for Death
He kindly stopped for me
The Carriage held but just Ourselves
And Immortality.
From this stanza, we see that Dickinson equates her own death with falling into some kind of eternal abyss. Throughout the poem, Dickinson characterizes her newfound eternal existence as somewhat passive and disillusioned. "Since then 'tis centuries and yet Feels shorter than the day", shows us that the speaker's experience of eternity has caused her to lose concept of time and space, leading neither a negative nor positive existence. She simply is. 
Another similarity between the two authors, also regarding death, is that they both focus on death in conjunction with nature. Part 49 of "Song of Myself" exemplifies Whitman's take on this matter.
"And as to you Corpse I think you are good manure, but that does not 
offend me, 
I smell the white roses sweet-scented and growing" 

This shows that Whitman sees our existence as circular. That is, we are born, we live, and once we die our nutrients ultimately contribute to nature, which in itself is universal. In "I died for Beauty--but was Scarce, Dickinson also explores the concept of death in nature. "Until the Moss had reached our lips --/And covered up -- our names –". Here, Dickinson sees nature's interaction with death as a mechanism for anonymity and, in short, the idea that we will all be completely forgotten one day. Dickinson seems to hold that this is a direct product of nature, which makes sense, as this idea of moss covering up our names is probably a reference to time and decay.  

Finally, the two authors clearly share a very transcendentalist interest in the self. Both of them have a very strong tendency to write in the first person about their own experience of life. For Whitman, this is a celebration of himself and his universality. This is made very apparent through the first few lines of "Song of Myself": I CELEBRATE myself, and sing myself, 

And what I assume you shall assume, 
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

What Whitman is essentially saying here is that every single human being, organism, and anything that exists is a part of a universal whole, which is why it should be upheld simply because it is. Dickinson, on the other hand, uses her self-interest in an opposite sense: introspection. While Whitman is interested in how he factors into the universe, Dickinson is interested in how she factors into herself. Dickinson often does this by narrating her own proverbial death, such as in "I heard a Fly buzz--when I died". This poem is specifically mournful as it deals with the ultimate loss--the loss of oneself. 

With Blue -- uncertain stumbling Buzz --
Between the light -- and me --
And then the Windows failed -- and then
I could not see to see --

This final stanza refers to death as a very personal experience. The presence of the fly is imposing and seems to interrupt Dickinson's final experience of herself. This injustice might cause a reader to view the external as a distraction to what is ultimately important--the self. 

Koehler Dickenson/Whitman Blog

The two poets are immensely different. Whether the focus is on style, tone, form, or content, both poets would be characterized in different categories. However, sometimes, though not often, the poets share a common theme creating a slight similarity in their work.

One connection they share which is relevant throughout a lot Whitman’s Song of Myself and some of the Dickinson poems, is the acknowledgement of the inevitably of death. Although Whitman is celebrating life in his poem he also at times celebrates death “I hasten to inform him or her it is just as lucky to die, and I know/it.” He claims that we should consider ourselves lucky to be born because we could just as easily not have been, and since we lucky to be born, we are lucky to die. Dickenson approaches the same topic in her poems “My life closed twice before it’s close –“ and “I died for Beauty – but was scarce.” Both poets are well aware of their own mortality and focus on that aspect sometimes heavily in their poetry.

The second most noticeable similarity between the two poets is their emphasis of nature. Dickenson uses this topic often, like in her poem, “I started Early – Took my Dog—“ where she goes to the sea.  Or in “A Wounded Deer – leaps highest”, which although it isn’t discussing nature, it’s imagery is rooted in it. Whitman, like Dickenson, has many chants that connect to nature, “Alone far in the wilds and mountains I hunt” or “The wild gander leads his flock through the cool night.” Both use nature references in similar ways. They can either stand alone as a presentation of beauty or they can be used a metaphor or a contrast which is related to some aspect of human culture.

The finally connection I will touch on is the presentation of human relationships. In dickenson’s poem “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” The first line presents her as being apart from other humans, but then there is another person that is nobody. They don’t want to tell anybody, so there could countless nobodies in the world. This presents a connection between human, similar to what Whitman presents heavily through the entirety of “Song of Myself.” Even though the person in the poem is nobody, they can’’t avoid connecting with another nobody. It shows how human connections are unavoidable, an idea also present by Whitman.

Poelker Dickinson/Whitman Blog

The most glaring similarity between the work of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson is their commitment to the immortality to their human soul, as seen in “My life closed twice before its close.” The conceit of this poem by Emily Dickinson is wrapped up in the phrase, “If Immortality unveil / A third event to me.” She doesn’t say anything very specifically (part of her commitment to telling the “slant” truth) but her comment on the mystery of eternity echoes some of what Whitman writes in “Song of Myself.” Just as Emily Dickinson says “Parting is all we know of heaven / And all we need of hell,” Whitman addresses the nature of life and death in the context of human individuality. In part three of “Song of Myself” he writes, “I have heard what the talkers were talking, the talk of the beginning and the end / But I do not talk of the beginning of the end.” It would seem at first that he saying that he does not address heaven and hell as Dickinson does but think again and you’ll notice that he actually is talking of “the beginning and the end,” even if he does so by talking about not talking about it. Like Dickinson, he expresses the immortality of human individuality, shirking the notion of finite narratives of heaven and hell and other such easy extremes with which to conclude one’s thoughts.

Both poets also address love a beauty, and are fully committed to the concepts as crucial to their respective poetic projects. When Emily Dickinson writes, “I died for beauty… / When one who dies for Truth, was lain / In an adjoining room” she might as well be talking about Walt Whitman. For just as much she loves beauty, Whitman seeks a poetical truth. For example, part 30 of “Song of Myself” opens with this line: “All truths wait in all things, / They neither hasten their own delivery nor resist it.” The metaphorical conversation that Dickinson imagines goes very far to express her belief in the marriage of beauty and truth and throughout “Song of Myself” Whitman finds beauty in all things and, along with that beauty, truth.

A third similarity between these poets is their tendency to comment on the nature of poetry, their individual tasks as poets. We see this very clearly in “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant.” Dickinson’s conceit here is that “The Truth must dazzle gradually.” She believes in some amazement caused by the slow uncovering of truth, and not in a straightforward sermon of the beauty of the world. For her, uncovering the truth when it is told slant is the only way to tell the Truth that has any importance. Similarly, Whitman spends much time explaining his poetic goal in “Song of Myself.” Take the very first lines of the poem:

"I celebrate myself, and sing myself

And what I assume you shall assume

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,

I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass."

From the very beginning, this most American of poets expresses his project as both a human being and a poet (if the two can ever be really distinct). This particular example is not as direct a manifesto regarding actual writing as Dickinson’s in “Tell the Truth but tell it slant,” but it does the same work. In reading this stanza, we know that Whitman is taking a turn from the pretentiousness of his predecessors, and extolling the everyman, embracing the inner truth and beauty of the individual.

Ory Dickinson/Whitman

Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson could not appear more oppositely on the surface. Both their poetic styles and their personal lives differ enormously, yet close inspection reveals similar themes at work within their poetry. Whitman’s style is at times explosive and all-inclusive, long, free-form, and nomadic. The poem fluctuates through different imagery, tone, and subject matter, though an unbridled celebratory spirit permeates the entire epic poem, reflected in the free verse form. In stark contrast to Whitman, Emily Dickinson’s poetry is concise and offers a lot of depth in each succinct poem. The rhyme, meter, and form enhance the brief yet powerful imagery within her poetry. Despite their apparent differences, the transcendentalist character resonates within the two poet’s works.

            Walt Whitman’s “Song for Myself” offers a more clearly transcendental perspective from Dickinson. The poem’s triumphant and exuberant tone evoke Emerson’s uplifted outlook from his essay “Nature,” in that they both rejoice in the divine nature of man. Whitman writes, “And I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own, / And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own, / And that all the men ever born are also my brothers, and the women / my sisters and lovers, / And that a kelson of the creation is love.” Whitman also questions the need to search for a God, when he believes that his own body reflects a divine spirit. He also sees this in every other man, a concept reminiscent of Emerson’s faith in the human. “Why should I pray? why should I venerate and be ceremonious? / Having pried through the strata, analyzed to a hair, counsel'd with / doctors and calculated close, / I find no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones. / In all people I see myself, none more and not one a barley-corn less, / And the good or bad I say of myself I say of them.”

            This transcendentalist spirit in Dickinson’s work is more elusive, as her style is far more reserved and introspective than Whitman’s flamboyant approach. The concept evident in both Whitman and Emerson’s work—the camaraderie and shared spirit of man—can be seen in Dickinson’s poetry as well. “‘For Beauty’, I replied / ‘And I -- for Truth -- Themself are One / We Brethren, are’, He said.” Both Dickinson and Whitman meditate on the notion of death frequently throughout their works. Whitman believes so fully in life after death, that his poetry reflects a sense of ‘deathlessness,’ while, surprisingly, the Calvinist Dickinson questions the concept of immortality in her poetry. Whitman sees death as the opportunity for regeneration: “The smallest sprout shows there is really no death, / And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it, / And ceas'd the moment life appear'd. / All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses, / And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.” Although Dickinson may share the same view, her approach is more hestitant and pensive. “My life closed twice before its close -- / It yet remains to see / If Immortality unveil / A third event to me.” Though their approaches differ greatly, both poets meaningfully reflect on these notions of life in death and the shared divine spirit of man within their unique poetic styles.