Walt Whitman: The Ultimate Lax Bro

The world has changed drastically since the latter half of the nineteenth century. The focuses and priorities of society are different; however, the works of the transcendentalist American poet Walt Whitman prove to be relatable regardless of the time period. Whitman’s works, while considered unorthodox in both subject and style at the time of publication, have been praised as the foundation of American poetry. Whitman’s creativity and boldness help to make his poems relatable. Today, Whitman’s work can be connected to the seemingly unrelated subject of lacrosse and the recruiting process through his self-admiration, his appreciation of the human body, and his use of poetry as an outlet for enjoyable self-expression.

To become a successful athlete or poet confidence is essential. In the sport of lacrosse, where recruiting often begins at an age as young as thirteen, confidence and self-admiration must develop early. As college coaches line the sidelines of showcases featuring rising high school freshmen, doubts inevitably enter the young athletes’ minds. When placed against skilled competition in a high pressure situation, the confidence of the athletes is thoroughly tested. Those who thrive are the athletes who are able to accept the situation for what it is and perform to the best of their ability, regardless of the opponent and the number of college coaches evaluating. Similarly, Whitman’s ability to become a successful writer largely hinged on his self-confidence. Whitman wrote unorthodox poetry, but he was able to disregard convention because of his admiration for his own writing and his whole-hearted belief in its quality. When Whitman was criticized for the nonconformist style and content of his work, he responded in his self-praising poem “Song of Myself” by stating, “Knowing the perfect fitness and equanimity of things, while/ they discuss I am silent...and admire myself” (Whitman 27). Whitman expresses an essential quality a lacrosse player needs during the recruiting process: the ability to disregard a rather critical environment and have confidence in himself, his work, and the fact that everything will turn out well in the end. The power to remain self-assured in a pressing situation is largely a mindset. The doubts that naturally enter the mind of an athlete, and also afflicted Whitman, can be quelled by acknowledging the trivial nature of such uncertainties. As Whitman elaborates in “Song of Myself:”

“Trippers and askers surround me..but they are not the Me myself./ Apart from the pulling and hauling stands what I am,/...Looking with side-curved head curious what will come next,/ Both in and out of the game and watching and wondering at it./ Backward I see in my own days where I sweated through fog with...contenders,/...I witness and wait” (Whitman 27-28).

Whitman acknowledges the fact that self-doubt and outside criticism and evaluation are out of his control; consequently, instead of worrying about something he has little effect on, Whitman decides to simply “witness and wait.” In comparison, young lacrosse players navigating the recruiting process must keep in mind that as long as they perform to the best of their abilities, they have little effect on the evaluations of different college coaches and the direction of their respective recruiting processes. As a result, lacrosse players must learn to ignore the trivial insecurities that haunt an athlete’s mind and focus on playing as best they can. They must also remember that success or failure in a sport does not define a person’s innermost self, but rather is just an outwardly facet of their existence. By the time an athlete is on the field playing in front of college coaches, it is too late to try and better his game. However, training and caring for one's body off the field can result in improved game performance, and would garner the praise of Whitman.

All successful athletes would impress Whitman with the countless hours they train and care for their bodies to expand upon their confidence and natural athletic abilities. As with all sports, production on the lacrosse field requires hard work in the offseason. As an athlete continues to play a sport at higher levels, it becomes apparent that in order to ensure in-game performance, one must respect and care for his body. The saying, “Your body is a temple,” is often instilled in young athletes. When a lacrosse player has trained hard in the offseason and taken proper care of his body along the way, the athlete’s confidence and pride is strengthened. Whitman's admiration of the human body is apparent throughout his work. In his poem “I Sing the Body Electric,” Whitman describes the confidence athletes must strive for when he states:

“The expression of the face balks account,/ But the expression of a well-made man appears not only in his face,/...It is in his walk, the carriage of his neck...dress does not hide him,/ The strong...quality he has strikes though the cotton and broadcloth,/ To see him pass conveys as much as the best poem, perhaps more,/ You linger to see his back, and the back of his neck and shoulder-side” (Whitman “I Sing the Body Electric”).

Just as confidence on the field is essential throughout a lacrosse player’s career, especially during the early recruiting process, the development of that confidence by admiring and caring for one’s body is also vital. Another aspect of ensuring superior performance on the lacrosse field or superior performance as a poet is enjoying the craft.

The uniqueness of every individual results in various different forms of self-expression. In a society where each person has countless obligations, it is essential to find one’s calling and enjoy seeing it through. In lacrosse, it is always imperative to view the sport as an enjoyable form of self-expression in order to play worry-free and to the best of one’s ability. Whitman similarly enjoyed the expressive nature of writing. Whitman once said, “The secret of it all, is to write...things down without deliberation – without worrying about their style – without waiting for a fit time or place. I always worked that way” (Traubel 63). Whitman expands upon his view of writing as self-expression when he describes the feeling of escaping societal obligations in his poem “A Clear Midnight,” by asserting, “This is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight.../...the day erased, the lesson done” (Whitman “A Clear Midnight”). It is sensations such as the free flight of the soul, which Whitman describes, that lacrosse players, and people in general, must learn to cherish. Regardless of how many college coaches are watching, if a lacrosse player enjoys the sport, he will be able to have fun in challenging situations throughout the recruiting process and preserve the finite moments of his playing career. Viewing lacrosse as a form of self-expression is a large part of cherishing the demanding moments of offseason training and on-field play throughout one's career.

Whitman embodied and advocated many of the characteristics that make up a successful lacrosse player. Whitman had exceptional self-confidence, an obvious admiration of the human body, and an enjoyment of the expressive nature of literature. These qualities transcend time. Learning to become self-confident, to care for one’s body, and to take joy in one’s outlets of expression not only applies to lacrosse players and athletes, but to all people. Self-confidence gives people the courage to take risks that can ultimately benefit the course of their lives. Through the lessons of Whitman’s works his poems remain relevant despite changing times.

Whitman’s Autobiographical Song

Whitman’s “Song of Myself” is a masterful work of art that contains musical elements. Whitman’s poem, like its title suggests, reads almost like a song. Upon examination, there seems to be two major similarities between Whitman’s “Song of Myself” and music. Whitman’s poem is like music because it can be organized into time signatures and is composed of melodic phrases. These similarities give “Song of Myself” a musical feel that supplements the free-flowing tone of the piece.

The presence of time signatures (predictable overarching rhythmic organization) is a musical characteristic that Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself” has. However, although it might be obvious that music can be organized with time signatures, it is less obvious that “Song of Myself” can be organized this way as well. However, this quality becomes apparent when the poem is carefully broken down into meter. For example, the first three lines of Whitman’s “Song of Myself” go like this:

            I celebrate myself, and sing myself

            And what I assume you shall assume,

            For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. (Whitman 26)

These lines can be analyzed musically and written in meter as follows:

This pattern not only applies to the first three lines of Whitman’s poem, but also to the rest of it. As long as one carefully breaks down "Song of Myself," the poem, like music, can be organized into time signatures.

Another important characteristic of music is phrasing, or distinct musical ideas. All music, with the exception of songs that are a single phrase, is composed by linking multiple phrases. Vocal music is a good example of the prevalence of phrases in music because every verse, chorus, and bridge is a separate phrase. Vocal music without verses, a chorus, or a bridge is no song at all. On a larger scale, music without phrases (distinct musical ideas) is no music at all because music is the expression of musical ideas. Phrasing is one fundamental characteristic of music and one that Whitman’s “Song of Myself” shares.

If one takes the definition of a musical phrase and generalizes it to a distinct idea, it becomes apparent that Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself” is full of phrases. The transition between the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth canto clearly shows the existence of phrases in Whitman’s poem:

At eleven o’clock began the burning of the bodies;

That is the tale of the murder of the four hundred and twelve young men.

Would you hear of an old-time sea-fight?

Would you learn who won by the light of the moon and starts?

List to the yarn, as my grandmother’s father the sailor told it to me. (Whitman 34)

Clearly these two stanzas are distinct from each other and belong to two different phrases. It can be argued that every canto in “Song of Myself” is its own phrase, making Whitman’s poem the compilation of fifty-two literary phrases. However, every stanza in this poem could be a distinct phrase as well, and on an even smaller level, each sentence. Regardless of how one views a phrase, it is clear that “Song of Myself” is not devoid of phrasing. Conversely, “Song of Myself,” like music, is full of phrases.

              Whitman’s esteemed poem “Song of Myself” is similar to music in two important ways. Like with music, one can extract overarching rhythmic themes from “Song of Myself” and organize this poem with time signatures. Additionally, Whitman’s poem can be split up into phrases, a trait all music shares. These two similarities make “Song of Myself” seem like a real song and contribute to the depth of the poem.

Walt Whitman: the Translator of Human Nature

In an inexpressible world, Walt Whitman is the voice of the people. He wrote about taboo topics that were not aesthetically pleasing. But these subjects were realities that other authors were too timid to write about. His poetry questions the norms of human behavior and provokes the individual to separate oneself from the turbulence of society to find inner peace. The fact that Whitman’s poetry is relevant to modern society--it’s predicaments and fortunes--demonstrates that he is the composer of the vox populi. Whitman’s literature questions and answers the angst of an adolescent student, the advantages and disadvantages of conventional schooling, and the inconsistencies of equality.

Among every generation, philosophers, writers, and people of all social circumstances have pondered the purpose of life. Some argue that the objective is reproduction and others contend that happiness is the goal. In "O Me! O Life!" Whitman challenges the being of man. He notes the times in life when the struggle for achievement is not worth the suffering.  In his poem, Whitman comments, “Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d”. He condemns the materialism of individuals who always want something better than what they have. He laments the fact that life seems fruitless and empty because things almost never turn out how one would want them to and not meeting expectations. This motif of questioning existence is similar to the arduous lifestyle of a developing adolescent. Teenagers are like sponges soaking up knowledge; but since they are young and the process of vigorous learning has only just begun, they are ignorant of who they are and where they stand in the world. A young adult is constantly searching for his identity as new ideas and influences alter his character. Whitman’s answer to distressing times is to live. He explains that existence itself is the reason for being. One has the ability to dictate one’s path and and to overcome obstacles to live in the way he desires, so Whitman is imploring his readers to go out and experience life. As a teenager, popularity can be mistaken for happiness. Happiness and inner peace will only be found if hunting for materialistic and superficial status is ended. Clasping life by the horns by being exposed to the peculiarities of the world and through living life to the fullest one can become self-aware and universally wise.

One cannot effectively understand his own character from studying books at academic institutions. Individuals self-reflect about oneself from experiences and interactions with others. In Walt Whitman’s poem, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”, he walks out on the presentation of an esteemed astronomer because it made him “tired and sick” to be lectured on the mysteries of the night sky with figures and diagrams. In Whitman’s physical retreat from the lesson, he embraces the mystique of the stars, “In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time, Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars”. Only silence captures the beauty of the stars. An individual can have all of the information in the world but it is impossible to understand human nature through books. There is wisdom in the world and life that cannot be explained in words, some of these things can only be understood by physical experience and mental presence. One may say that without conventional education, there will be no future progress among our race and will limit the perspective of individuals about the whole world. Going out an experiencing life is more important than receiving an education because there are things an individual can never be taught in a school such as ascertaining one’s sexual orientation or to facing the injustices of the world. Whitman reminds the masses not to forget to explore the mysteries of the world and break free from the classroom because it makes one more cultured about the world and its affairs.

Despite the fact that it is about fifty years since the civil rights movement, racism is still rampant in America. Racial discrimination continues to poison social relations in the U.S. with African-Americans in particular racially profiled unjustly by police departments and the judicial system. A multitude of murders, unfair arrests, and unjust court sentences are among the many injustices that blacks face in the nation where supposedly “all men are created equal.” In Walt Whitman’s poem “Thoughts.” he lists issues that he is currently pondering such as nature, the soul, and the immortality of poetry. In the fourth stanza, Whitman reflects on ownership and equality and wonders why society deems it fair for certain individuals to have more rights than others. African Americans ask themselves the same questions because they are three times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police than whites, more than three times more likely to be handcuffed in an encounter with the cops, and almost three times more likely to be arrested than cops. In a white man’s world, blacks suffer from inconsistencies in rights when they are supposed to be equal. Whitman declares, “As if it were not indispensable to my own rights that others possess the same”. He believes that everyone should enjoy the rights that he possesses. Whitman may or may not have been thinking about blacks when he wrote this poem, but if the majority of America adopted his theme of equality the citizens of the U.S. would fine truth. This truth that humans must realize is that physical differences does not define a person, determine moralities or behavior.

Walt Whitman addresses the truths of life in his literature; as profane or unpleasant they may seem, the topics he writes about are the realities of existence. His clever diction makes one question norms and reflect on oneself. Whitman’s 18th century literature is still relevant to the assets and misfortunes of the present. He analyzes everyday situations so that the common man could relate to the event and decipher his own problems. Whitman also puts earthly issues into perspective with the immense universe and makes them seem trivial. As the voice of the people, he developed American literature, especially poetry, and became the father of free verse.

Whitman Takes on Cross Country

If a cross country runner and Walt Whitman were to meet, they would not struggle to find that they have common beliefs and priorities. In Whitman’s cantos of “Song of Myself,” there are traits that can also be found in the sport of cross country. Both are characterized by freedom, difference, and unity. These aspects bridge the apparent divide between running and Whitman’s poetry.

Freedom is demonstrated in unstructured races for cross country and Whitman’s writing. Whitman exercises his right to freedom as he wrote about topics that were taboo during the 1800s. In Canto 11 of “Song of Myself,” Whitman describes, “An unseen hand also pass’d over their bodies,/ It descended tremblingly from their temples and ribs” (Whitman 11). A description of the woman’s sexuality is incorporated as she watches twenty-eight men bathing. In this case, Whitman is writing about a topic previously shamed and unspoken; he is shocking his readers and, at times, upsetting them. He is free to evoke emotion as he desires and creates imagery that is powerful. While other poets follow a formula or write in a consistent manner, Whitman also utilizes freedom as he writes free-verse poetry. He presents his poetry case-by-case based on the message that he wants to send and the impact he wants it to have. By doing so, Whitman relates to a runner whose race strategy varies according to his goal. Cross country is also one of the most free sports because it is without a referee; thus, it is difficult to enforce rules. Also, runners’ performances cannot impact others. When the gun starts the race, runners are free to manage their race in any way that they choose, especially because coaches cannot substitute their athletes in reaction to poor pacing or exhaustion. Not only do cross country runners have the option to choose their own method of racing, but they are required to do so. In addition to freedom in races, there is no uniform training plan for all cross country runners. While each team has set days for certain workouts, individuals and coaches have the freedom to adjust workouts based on what will benefit the athlete the most. More so, cross country runners each have their own goal. Some run to win races; others run to place well. On occasion, runners will run races purely to pace a slower runner or, contrarily, as a “rabbit” who goes out fast to tire out a top runner on another team in a competitive, strategic race. In this way, runners’ training and race strategy is laden with freedom. Both are trying to accomplish something, and freedom is instrumental in allowing them to do so effectively. Additionally, freedom is found in the lack of directions and rules given to cross country runners, and it is also found in Whitman’s poetry as he freely explores risky topics and writes in varied forms. Whitman and cross country seize freedom in ways that are more than effective; they also experience harsh critiques.

Both cross country as a sport and Whitman’s poetry face criticism. Especially at the time when Whitman's poetry was first released, he faced adversity. He freely wrote about taboo topics, but not without facing judgment. Whitman’s use of imagery to explore sexuality was criticized, but he also wrote with honesty and rawness, such as in canto eight of “Song of Myself;” “The suicide sprawls on the bloody floor of the bedroom,/ I witness the corpse with its dabbled hair,/ I note where the pistol has fallen” (Whitman 8). Whitman does not romanticize suicide; he portrays it plainly and truthfully. He is not scared to speak on topics ranging from sexuality to suicide. Whitman’s poetry is unsettling, especially in the past when his topics were typically private and uncomfortable. Cross country is different from other sports, so it is often criticized for being an unenjoyable sport. Running is painful, especially when improvement is the goal. This pain cannot be lulled with a team to fall-back on; it is not eased by substitutions or time-outs. Running is a sport that seems unreasonable to some spectators. Whitman’s poetry benefits from the risks he takes writing about taboo topics; similarly, cross country runners gain strength by enduring the pain of a hard workout. Whitman's raw writing leaves readers unsettled as cross country confuses spectators shock outsiders of the painful sport, and the two are joined by this commonality. Running and poetry share another similarity because

Whitman seeks to be united with his readers as cross country runners seek unity throughout their team. Although Whitman wrote “Song of Myself” in admiration of himself, he expressed value for others as well. In the first lines of the poem, he states, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself,/ And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” (Whitman 1). Whitman is celebrating himself, but he notes his equality with his audience; therefore, he celebrates readers as well. This is an important part of his poetry because it provides a sense of connection between the reader’s reality and the writer’s fantasy. Unity improves both Whitman’s poetry as well as cross country teams. Running is made easier by teammates’ encouragement and advice. Most athletes begin cross country at the beginning of high school, and they only have four years to figure out what works best for them in terms of ritual and routine. While this is unfortunately best discovered by trial and error, it is imperative that veteran runners share their experiences and advise beginning runners in order to help them navigate a rigorous and potentially frustrating sport. Runners have to be selfless individuals because though helping young runners might impede their placement on a team, it is important to help others excel for the benefit of the team. In the end, a runner does not win a race; a team wins a race. It takes five runners to have a score, so running is an individual experience, but cross country is a team sport. A successful team needs unity in order to encourage each other, implement tactics to defeat others, and survive the well-known mental struggle of racing. Undoubtedly, cross country cannot be a sport without unity, and Whitman’s poetry would not serve the same purpose without connecting to its readers.

Poetry and sports as general topics are not related on the surface. Nonetheless, it is clear that cross country and Whitman’s poetry are not as unrelated as they seem to be. Whitman’s poetry and cross country both emphasize freedom, face criticism, and depend on unity. They are connected by these three defining traits.

The Chaos of Creativity- Emily Dickinson and Vincent Van Gogh

The Chaos of Creativity

"Wheatfield with Crows," by Vincent Van Gogh

It seems to be a trend that artists of all sorts experience psychological turmoil that accompanies their creativity. Two cases of this are Emily Dickinson and Vincent Van Gogh, who belong to two different realms of art. Emily Dickinson was an American poet born in Massachusetts in 1830, and Vincent Van Gogh a post-impressionist painter born in 1853 in Netherlands. Both are well known for being the “forefathers” of their areas, or the greatest at what they do. There are similarities in the way that Dickinson and Van Gogh express themselves. Both artists make sharp statements, portray elements of nature, and reflect their mental state in their work.

Dickinson and Van Gogh make similar stylistic choices in their work. Emily Dickinson is well known for her copious use of dashes. She regularly places them at the ends of her line to make a statement. Van Gogh’s post-impressionist painting style consists of many sharp, short brush strokes and vibrant colors. Dickinson’s use of punctuation and Van Gogh’s brush strokes and colors both give an abrupt feel to their work, yet they still manage to make it flow. Each individual mark is quick, yet they all blend together, similar to a school of fish. An example of this is in poem 318: “I’ll tell you how the Sun rose – /A Ribbon at a time – / The steeples swam in Amethyst/ The news, like Squirrels, ran –” Her use of  dashes makes the reader pause and think. One of Van Gogh’s paintings that has a similar effect is “Wheatfield with Crows.” Each brushstroke is a short dash, which adds movement and emotion. This brings more depth to the painting and causes the observer to stop and look closer at what would otherwise be a simple landscape.

Natural aspects are evident in the work of both Dickinson and Van Gogh. One of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings “Starry Night” is a view of the village below from his asylum window. Van Gogh magnificently captures nature in the swirl of the stars in the sky and the trees below that are reaching up to touch them. Dickinson also uses nature to express her thoughts. In one of her well known poems, number 314,  she states, “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers- / That perches in the soul- /And sings the tune without the words- / And never stops - at all-” Here the reader associates hope, the idea that she is describing, as a bird. Exploring nature in their work allowed both artists to more easily express their thoughts.

Both Dickinson and Van Gogh suffered from mental illness throughout their lives. Van Gogh dealt with depression, anxiety, and possibly bipolar disorder. Some of his most influential paintings were produced from the effects these disorders had on him, including his self portrait with his bandaged ear, which he supposedly cut off himself. One can see the anguish in his eyes due to his poor mental health. Dickinson also suffered from a wide array of psychological disorders, including bipolarism, and possibly anorexia. She spent most of her life in her room writing poetry, becoming somewhat of a recluse. The chaos in her head is reflected in her poetry, as demonstrated in poem 937, “I felt a cleaving in my Mind- / As if my Brain had split- / I tried to match i - / Seam by Seam- / But could not make them fit.” One can detect the turmoil in both of their heads through their work.

Although Emily Dickinson and Vincent Van Gogh do not share the same medium, they can produce the same effect through their stylistic choices and techniques. It is interesting that  poetry can have so much in common with visual art, and how style choices like punctuation can correspond to brush strokes, and evoke the same feeling in the observer. Coincidentally, both artists became well-known only after their death. Vincent Van Gogh struggled throughout his life, always poor and feeling like his work was unworthy. Emily Dickinson, on the other hand, asked that her work not be published, but after she died her wishes were betrayed.

Whitman and Wandering

Adventure Time

Adventure presents opportunity and independence. It allows the wanderer time and space to reflect on the essence of our existence and the metaphysical truths that accompany life. Much akin to the benefits that supplement adventure, trekking or wandering, in particular, are the benefits of reading Walt Whitman’s poems. In the wild, unpredictable changes happen constantly, much like in many of Whitman’s poems. Particularly in his masterpiece “Song of Myself,” changes are rapid and abrupt. One can discover his or her true identity in the wild. It is a place of sanctuary and knowledge, much like the introspective nature of Walt Whitman’s work. Moreover, the meandering nature of Whitman’s poems rekindle the idea that, as J.R.R. Tolkien said, “Not all who wander are lost.” Adventure and wanderlust affiliate to Whitman’s style and method of poetry.

The wilderness holds many surprises. Sometimes pleasant changes wait around the bend in the trail. However, many unpleasant deviations may be anticipating the weary traveller. Much like the unpredictable nature of the wild, Whitman alters his approach as abruptly as a snake may bite. In Whitman’s extensive poem “Song of Myself,” he shifts ideology and emphasis before the reader realizes the change. Particularly going from cantos six to seven, Whitman drastically alters his topic. First, in canto six, he writes, “…What is grass?...I do not know what it is any more than he.” In the next canto, he then writes, “…I hasten to inform him or her it is just as lucky to die, and I know it.” He changes from musing about grass with a child to proclaiming that dying is equally lucky as being born. As the hiker never knows what is around the bend, the reader of Whitman never knows what will be said next. However, the wilderness and Whitman’s poems alike offer the opportunity for becoming self-aware.

Self-identity can be found in the wild. As all transcendentalists would attest to, the wilderness is where the soul can be found. Where the body and mind transcends to meet the soul is found in the solitary wood. The lessons that can be learned from the woods about oneself are abundant and invaluable. Much like the woods, Whitman’s introspective and inquisitive style of poetry makes for the same opportunity for self-reflection. One line from Canto 3 of “Song of Myself” epitomizes the deep nature of his poems: “Clear and sweet is my soul, and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul. Lacks one lacks both, and the unseen is provided by the seen.” The provocative nature of his lines in general force the reader to reflect on the truths of life and what the meaning of it is. As self-identity is evident in the wild, it is in Whitman’s work. Becoming one with the self is a vital part of one’s self identity and is also more easily achieved in the wild.

Perhaps the most vital component of adventure is the sense of oneness one achieves with the wilderness. A self-contained experience in the outdoors leads to a closer connection with oneself and the woods. The essence of adventure is to find one’s soul and acquire a new perspective. As Henry Miller wrote, “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things” (Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch). One leaves for adventure hoping to become closer to him or her and aspiring to return with a new perception on life. The reasons one travels are the same as the reasons Walt Whitman wrote “Song of Myself” and the same as why its popularity has not waned over the decades. The first lines of the masterpiece express its goals perfectly: “I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” He implies that he is the same as the reader and the purpose of the poem is to show the reader what to assume and what to take away from the poem. Much like the experience adventure brings, so does reading his poems.

Reading Whitman’s poems is an adventure of the mind. He takes his reader into unseen corners of his or her own mind, and prompts inner speculation on life and self-identity. The experiences available on a wilderness adventure prompt the same thoughts. In this way, Whitman and adventure are similar.     

Dickinson and the Art of Cooking: More Similar than One Thinks

          Emily Dickinson is a chef with words—she adds a dash of rhyme and meter to her work, a splash of unusual punctuation and capitalization, and a drizzle of alternative word choices. She adds many elements to her writing to make her work more interesting and unique compared to other poets. Her unusual choices in her work can be compared to the work that a chef does to his or her food. Although not seemingly similar at first, there are many similarities between the art of cooking and the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

            A similarity between Dickinson poetry and cooking is how one has to follow a formula or pattern but can follow it loosely. Emily Dickinson seems to loosely follow a meter in most of her poems. Although not necessarily the same between different poems, each work generally follows a set number of syllables and stresses for each line. One can easily see this example in poem 359 where she uses a short meter.

A Bird, came down the Walk -

He did not know I saw -

He bit an Angle Worm in halves

And ate the fellow, raw,

Dickinson’s use of a meter is comparable to a recipe. She uses the number of syllables that are required and fills in words with her imagination. An almost identical process happens in cooking. A recipe is meant to be followed, but only to a certain degree. One must follow the recipe a little, otherwise the dish may not rise, could burn, or have bad flavor. However, within the guidelines of the recipe there is room to be inventive. In a poem, if a meter is not followed, there is a chance of the poem not sounding melodic or bad to the ears. Similarly, a recipe must be followed to ensure that the dish tastes good, but the food can still be unique to a chef.

            One of the things that makes the poetry of Emily Dickinson unique is her use of punctuation, which adds spice to her writing. Dickinson is well known for her unusual placement and choice of punctuation and capitalization. She often used dashes and exclamation marks at the end of her lines, in addition to seemingly random capitalization in the middle of a line, such as in the last line of her poem number 372, where she writes “First - Chill - then Stupor - then the letting go-.” There is no grammatical reason for her to capitalize the words or add the dashes, however it adds interest to the work. Originally, this was often seen as erroneous by editors and removed from the poems. However, her use of punctuation makes her work unique and adds more flavor. Punctuation is to Dickinson as spices are to cooking. Food tastes bland and nondescript without the use of spices. Spices, such as a dash of cayenne pepper or nutmeg instantly brings a meal to life. Seasoning gives the dish character and makes it more interesting to the palate like punctuation works in writing.

            Because Emily Dickinson never intended for her poems to be published, she often left marks on the page with possible changes to certain words[1]. Often the words that she would supply as an alternative would have a completely different meaning compared to the original. As the Emily Dickinson museum states: “Sometimes words with radically different meanings are suggested as possible alternatives.” The way Dickinson provided alternatives for her writing is much like how a chef is able to use different ingredients to achieve the same flavor or desired effect.  If one does not have buttermilk on hand, one can achieve the desired effect by mixing lemon juice with milk and letting it sit for five minutes. Although it is not the same product, the final result ends up being the same.

Emily Dickinson is like a chef with her poetry. She adds punctuation and capitalization to add interest to keep her poems from being bland, how a chef would add spices to his cooking to achieve the same effect. Dickinson follows a meter loosely, however sometimes strays just like how it is important to follow a recipe but one can add a personal touch. Lastly, Dickinson provided possible different options for some words in her poetry. Her doing this can be compared to using different ingredients to achieve the same end result. Although one may not immediately connect the two, there are many similarities between the work of Emily Dickinson and the art of cooking.

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[1] “FAQ.” Emily Dickinson Archive. January 7, 2015.

Emily Dickinson’s Poetry and Computer Programming: A Comparison

Picture Emily Dickinson standing in a window in Amherst, gazing out at nineteenth century America, trying to figure out how to phrase her latest poem. Now, fast forward a century and a half. Picture a computer science undergraduate at Amherst College churning out hundreds of lines of code at four in the morning, fueled by an almost manic energy derived from coffee and energy drinks in order to finish their degree. It would seem that these two scenarios are dissimilar similar, and in part this is true. However, while at first glance Emily Dickinson’s poetry and computer programming seem to have nothing in common, they do share some common properties and themes.

        One of the common properties shared between programming and Dickinson’s poetry is the use of symbols to represent ideas. One common theme throughout Dickinson’s poetry is the use of the dash to indicate a break. An excellent example of this is in her poem “Come slowly - Eden!”:

Come slowly - Eden!

Lips unused to Thee -

Bashful - sip thy Jessamines -

As the fainting Bee -

Reaching late his flower,

Round her chamber hums -

Counts his nectars -

Enters - and is lost in Balms.

The dash is used in this poem to indicate a break and effectively fragments the poem into discrete elements. The dashes provide a unique reading experience, and it is possible this is how the poems would be read aloud. In most programming languages, a similar construct is used. Consider this simple program in the C++ programming language:

#include <iostream>

#include <string>

int main() {

        std::cout << “hello, world!\nwhat’s your name? ”;

        string name;

std::cin >> name;

std::cout << “hello, “ << name;

return 0;

}

Here, the semicolon is used to break up the program into individual lines so that it can be processed by the compiler into assembly and eventually a binary image. Another similarity is the use of the symbol. In C++, the semicolon only sometimes used in accordance with the constructs of the language (only to be used after statements, definitions, and calls but not after preprocessor directives). In Dickinson’s poetry, the dash is used to break up the poem into exclamatory segments.

        Another way that Dickinson’s poetry is similar to programming is the concept of subtly hidden complexity. This is the notion that on the surface poems and programs alike appear simple, but can reference incredibly complicated concepts. The first stanza of Dickinson’s poem “I know that He exists” demonstrates this complexity:

I know that He exists.

Somewhere - in silence -

He has hid his rare life

From our gross eyes.

Here, Dickinson uses references to faith and God to proclaim that even while God has gone into hiding from the human race, she remains convinced of his existence. This is obviously a nuanced topic, as many scholars have differing opinions. It calls to mind images of churches, spirituality, and faith. Similarly, a short program can call into action an incredibly complex process. Consider this short chunk of HTML:

<html>

<head>

        <title>Example essay website</title>

</head>

<body>

        <p>please send help it’s five in the morning</p>

</body>

</html>

        This relatively simplistic code defines a simple web page with a title and a paragraph element. When you navigate to this site, a chain of events are kicked into motion. Your processor begins screaming away at billions of cycles per second frantically running the XNU kernel, which in turn is churning through the POSIX spec-related abstractions to create the Darwin system, which in turn is running OSX. OSX in turn is rendering the WebKit engine, which is being controlled by Chrome, which is also controlling the network card (through OSX) in order to download the page. Once it downloads the page, it steps through the file and builds a document object model (DOM) which is passed through WebKit where it is transformed into a renderable object. This object is passed to the GPU along with some drawing information which draws it to the screen. All of this is referenced in those eight lines of code.

One area where Dickinson’s poetry and programming languages differ greatly is the flexibility of their interpretations. In Dickinson’s poetry (and in many other poet’s poetry), a large amount is open to the reader’s interpretation. Consider Dickinson’s poem “ ‘Faith’ is a fine invention”:

“Faith” is a fine invention

For Gentlemen who see!

But Microscopes are prudent

In an Emergency!

This poem is open to interpretation. Is she referencing some scientific event? Is she talking about the practice of ignoring reality for faith? It is up to the reader to decide. On the other hand, programming leaves little room for interpretation. Computers are notorious for doing exactly what they are instructed to do, leaving many users wishing for a “do what I mean, not what I say” button. Computers, and particularly compilers, will completely fail when dealing with unspecific input or undefined behavior, often refusing to work at all in the presence of these conditions.

There are some (albeit few) similarities between computer programming and Dickinson’s poetry, however, the differences far outnumber the similarities. Poems rarely control robots and drive cars, while programming does both. On the other hand, poems can control people.