The works of Dickinson and Whitman are in many respects
quite different, both in their unique writing styles and in their ideas. For instance, Whitman’s poems are long,
complex and emotional while Dickinson’s are short and factual. However,
commonalities do exist especially in the themes and messages their poems
present and in the imagery they portray. Although often in a different context, both poets
ponder the meaning of death, immortality, nature, and religion.
Both poets express their idea of
death. In his poem, Song of Myself, Whitman approaches Death
in a direct way: “And as to you
Death, and you bitter hug of mortality, it is idle to try to alarm me.” Being a Transcendentalist, he believes
that there is life after death. In
Song of Myself, he writes “And what
do you think has become of the women and children? They are alive and well somewhere. The smallest sprouts shows there is really no death.” To find death, only look “under your
boot-soles.” He also adds a
physicality to the concept of immortality: “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you … My
tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air, born here of
parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same.” Clearly, he intimates that this ongoing
transfer of atoms constitutes immortality.
Dickinson
also personifies death. In Because I could not stop for Death, death
is like a friend. He picks her up in
a “Carriage held but just Ourselves and Immortality.” Her poem “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died” is about the
moment of death. She attempts to
describe what happens at that moment with image and sound. Dickinson had a Calvinist background
and appears to be uncertain that immortality exists. In her poem My Life
closed twice before its close, she highlights her doubts about the
hereafter: “My life closed twice
before its close – It yet remains to see if immortality unveil a third events
to me.”
Neither
Whitman nor Dickinson fear death, but discuss it in different contexts.
In
Song of Myself, Whitman also speaks
of a special rapport with nature:
“Alone far in the wilds and mountains I hunt, wandering amazed at my own
lightness and glee, in the late afternoon choosing a safe spot to pass the
night, kindling a fire and broiling the fresh-kill’d game, falling asleep on
the gather’d leaves with my dog and gun by my side.” Dickinson love for nature, although more in the sense of an
observer than participant, is clearly stated in her poem, This is my letter to the World: “This is my letter to the World that never wrote to Me—the
simple News that Nature told—with tender Majesty. Her Message is committed to
Hands I cannot see—for love of Her –Sweet – countrymen—judge tenderly –of me. “
Regarding
religion, Whitman bases his philosophy on Transcendentalism and leaves the
impression that religion is irrelevant.
Certainly the spiritual and the material are portrayed as the same. In Songs
of Myself he compares himself with Jesus and invites “the wicked just the
same as the righteous.” He asks,
“Why should I pray? Why should I venerate and be ceremonious? … “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,…”I exist as I am, that is
enough.” Dickinson remains uncertain of her religion. In her poem My life
closed twice before its close she seems to question the existence of a
God: “Parting is all we know of
heaven, and all we need of hell.
Another similarity found in the works of these poets is
their use of imagery. Whitman’s use of vivid and descriptive imagery allows the
reader to form a picture in her head.
Dickinson introduces a very personal sense to her poetry thereby making
her thoughts come alive for the reader.
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