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?