She Walks in BeautyShe Walks in Beauty

She walks in beauty like the nightOf cloudless climes and starry skies;And all that’s best of dark and brightMeet in her aspect and her eyes:Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

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• Use creative imagination

• Focus on nature

• Importance of myth and symbolism

• Focus on feelings and intuition

• Freedom and spontaneity

• Simple language

• Personal experience, democracy and liberty

• Fascination with past

Romanticism ReviewRomanticism Review

Transcendentalists – The American Viewpoint

Transcendentalists – The American Viewpoint

Focused attention on the human spirit

Believed in carefully observing nature

All forms of being – God, Nature, and Humanity – are all spiritually united

through a shared universal soul

Focused attention on the human spirit

Believed in carefully observing nature

All forms of being – God, Nature, and Humanity – are all spiritually united

through a shared universal soul

Emerson’s Self-RelianceEmerson’s Self-Reliance

Envy is IgnoranceImitation is SuicideWe but half express ourselvesTrust ThyselfWith consistency a great soul has simply

nothing to doTo be great is to be misunderstood

Envy is IgnoranceImitation is SuicideWe but half express ourselvesTrust ThyselfWith consistency a great soul has simply

nothing to doTo be great is to be misunderstood

•Throughout history, poets have commented on the society in which they live.

•Some poets in our modern society write ‘performance poetry’, specifically designed to be heard.

•One of the ways in which poets can comment on their society is by choosing particular themes, such as nature or religion.

•In class, we have already focused on themes in literature

Poetry and Society

The images below symbolize three of the most common poetic themes.

Poetic Themes

Love God Nature

I hear America singing…

I hear America singing…

“I celebrate myself…”Walt Whitman was born May 31, 1819 on South

Huntington, Long Island, New York.

He was almost entirely self-educated, as he started working at age 12

His mother described him as “very good, but very strange.”

His brother described him as being “stubborner than a load of bricks.”

Apprentice- journalist, teacher, political activist

Emerson

Emerson’s writing inspired Whitman: “I was simmering; Emerson brought me to a boil.”

Emerson praised Whitman’s poetry as “The most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet to contribute.”

Whitman used these words, written by Emerson in a letter to Whitman, in a later introduction to Leaves of Grass. Emerson was not amused.

Whitman’s PoetryWhitman’s Poetry

Whitman declared his poetry would have:Whitman declared his poetry would have: Long lines that capture the rhythms of Long lines that capture the rhythms of

natural speech.natural speech. Free verse.Free verse. Vocabulary drawn from everyday Vocabulary drawn from everyday

speech.speech. A base in reality, not morality.A base in reality, not morality.

Whitman’s ThemesWhitman’s Themes Power of love, brotherhood, and Power of love, brotherhood, and

friendshipfriendship Optimistic faith in democracy and Optimistic faith in democracy and

equality equality Belief in the link between nature and the Belief in the link between nature and the

human spirithuman spirit Honoring the value of the working class Honoring the value of the working class

in Americain America Carpe DiemCarpe Diem

Leaves of Grass  Leaves of Grass 

The first version of his masterpiece, The first version of his masterpiece, Leaves Leaves of Grassof Grass, appeared in 1855. , appeared in 1855.

A critic dismissed it as “just a barbaric yawp.” A critic dismissed it as “just a barbaric yawp.” Why were so many writers shocked by Why were so many writers shocked by

WhitmanWhitman? ? His lack of regular rhyme and meter (free His lack of regular rhyme and meter (free

verse) and nontraditional poetic style and verse) and nontraditional poetic style and subject matter shocked more traditional subject matter shocked more traditional writers. writers.

A Barbaric Yawp ~ DPS

What You Need to KnowWhat You Need to Know Whitman created new poetic forms and Whitman created new poetic forms and

subjects to fashion a distinctly American subjects to fashion a distinctly American type of poetic expression.type of poetic expression.

He rejected conventional themes, He rejected conventional themes, traditional literary references, allusions, traditional literary references, allusions, and rhyme—all the accepted forms of and rhyme—all the accepted forms of poetry in the 19poetry in the 19thth century. century.

He uses long lines to capture the He uses long lines to capture the rhythms of natural speech, free verse, rhythms of natural speech, free verse, and vocabulary drawn from everyday and vocabulary drawn from everyday speech.speech.

MiraclesA Catalog Poem

MiraclesA Catalog Poem

By Walt WhitmanBy Walt Whitman

Why! who makes much of a miracle?

As to me, I know of nothing else but miracles,

Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,

Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,

Or wade with naked feet along the beach, just in the edge of the

water,

Why! who makes much of a miracle?

As to me, I know of nothing else but miracles,

Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,

Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,

Or wade with naked feet along the beach, just in the edge of the

water,

Or stand under trees in the woods,

Or talk by day with any one I love--or sleep in the bed at night with

any one I love,Or sit at table at dinner

with my mother,Or look at strangers

opposite me riding in the car,

Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive, of a summer forenoon,

Or animals feeding in the fields,Or birds--or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,Or the wonderfulness of the sun-down--or of stars

shining so quietand bright,

Or the exquisite, delicate, thin curve of the new moon in spring;Or the exquisite, delicate, thin curve of the new moon in spring;Or whether I go among those I like best, and that like me best--Or whether I go among those I like best, and that like me best--mechanics, boatmen, farmers,mechanics, boatmen, farmers,Or among the savannas--or to the soiree--or to the opera,Or among the savannas--or to the soiree--or to the opera,Or stand a long while looking at the movements of machinery,Or stand a long while looking at the movements of machinery,

Or behold children at their sports,Or the admirable sight of the perfect old man, or the perfect oldwoman,Or the sick in hospitals, or the dead carried to burial,Or my own eyes and figure in the glass;These, with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,The whole referring--yet each distinct, and in its place.

To me, every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,

Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,Every square yard of the surface of the

earth is spread with thesame,Every foot of the interior swarms with the

same;Every spear of grass--the frames, limbs,

organs, of men and women,and all that concerns them,All these to me are unspeakably perfect

miracles.

To me, every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,

Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,Every square yard of the surface of the

earth is spread with thesame,Every foot of the interior swarms with the

same;Every spear of grass--the frames, limbs,

organs, of men and women,and all that concerns them,All these to me are unspeakably perfect

miracles.

To me the sea is a continual miracle;To me the sea is a continual miracle;

The fishes that swim--the rocks--the motion of The fishes that swim--the rocks--the motion of the waves--the ships,the waves--the ships,

with men in them,with men in them,

What stranger miracles are there?What stranger miracles are there?

YOUR TURN…YOUR TURN…

Step One: BrainstormStep One: Brainstorm

Step Two: Narrow down to your Top 10 MiraclesStep Two: Narrow down to your Top 10 Miracles

Step Three: Create a Catalog PoemStep Three: Create a Catalog Poem

Focus on Imagery – Create a picture in the mind of your Focus on Imagery – Create a picture in the mind of your

reader… Me reader… Me

Minimum 20 lines – Final copy must be typed (can be Minimum 20 lines – Final copy must be typed (can be

decorated)decorated)

DUE: Friday, April 27DUE: Friday, April 27thth