Visual vs. Written Word

Visual vs. Written Word
While different forms of art, Walt Whitman’s poems and Photography are astoundingly similar. To be successful in both poetry and photography, one must be creative and approach subject matter from different perspectives in order to craft a unique and engaging portfolio. Whitman’s descriptive language and vivid imagery, exploration of taboo subject matter, and disregard for traditional rhyme patterns correlates with the evocative, experimental, and innovative aspects of photography that are essential to the perfection of the art.
The detail and imagery in Whitman’s poems are evocative and bring about strong responses similar in extent to those of successful photographs.  In Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself,” his use of descriptive verbs paint pictures in the minds of his readers and make his illustrations more tangible. Instead of stating that the speaker saw a bloody body on the floor, he writes, “the suicide sprawls on the bloody floor of the bedroom/I witness the corpse with its dabbled hair.” Whitman’s graphic description makes the scene more powerful and lifelike to the reader. The reader is left feeling disturbed and horrified by the scene. Similarly, Steve McCurry, a world-famous photographer, is an example of an artist who captures extraordinarily compelling portraits that tap into the emotional realm of his viewers. In particular, McCurry’s effectively captures the immense emotion of his subjects in his portraits of Middle Eastern women. The moment one glance into the eyes of some of these women their true emotions are revealed; one can feel their pain, happiness, hopelessness or love etc simply by looking into their eyes. The photograph in some way affects the viewer. In addition, the insanely high quality and detail in McCurry's photos make the photo feel lifelike in the same way Whitman’s vivid imagery does. The emotional effect of Whitman’s writing and Photography are analogous.
Similarly, Whitman’s curiosity and exploration of taboo subject matter is similar to the different approaches and perspectives photographers take towards subject matter. In “Song of Myself,” Whitman explores sexual desires such as masturbation. In Section 28 Whitman describes the experience of masturbating. He writes “I went myself first to the headland, my own hands carried me there” ("Song of Myself"Canto 28). Likewise, in his poem “I Sing the Body Electric,” he states quite vulgarly, “Limitless limpid jets of love hot and enormous, quivering jelly of love, white-blow and/delirious juice” (I Sing the Body Electric, Section 5). His discussion of a widely unnerving but humanely actions shocked the rather conservative society of 1855. He received harsh criticism for his unconventional writing and as Dickinson quoted, “You speak of Mr. Whitman. I never read his book, but was told that it was disgraceful.” Nevertheless, he successfully investigated unspoken and original topics. Originality in subject matter and perspective are crucial parts of Photography. While photographs of beaches, trees, and sunsets can be beautiful photos, they are generic and cliché in content. Perspective also has a large effect on the outcome of ones photos. The entire look of an object and the overall photograph can change depending on the orientation of the object in relation to the lens of the camera and the photographer’s eye. Photography is experimental. A photograph becomes interesting when a photographer plays around with perspective and investigates different themes for her photos. Whitman’s writing and photographers compare because they both attempt to explore new angles, points of view, and subject matter that previously have not been considered.
Walt Whitman’s inattention to traditional rhyme scheme patterns and meter makes his work unique from previous writing as many photographers use methods to take photos that go against the conventional process. In “Song of Myself,” Whitman writes in free verse, writing long lines about a variety of subject matter. He ignores the conventional way that Americans in the 1800’s wrote poems based on structured British Poetry. Comparably, Photographers often go against the mainstream ways of taking photographs because photography is based on technology that frequently evolves and advances.  High-speed photography is where strobe lights are used with ultra high shutter speeds to freeze a subject in up to 1/160,000 of a second as opposed to the standard 1/125 of a second.  The results are incredible as the camera captures instantaneous actions like the popping of a balloon. In the end, while Whitman was criticized in his time period for straying from structure, he is now honored as the father of free versus. His different writing style as well as the different approaches artists take towards their work are important because the individuality is what makes them unique and successful.
The overall reactions to Whitman’s unique writing are strong and comparable with the emotional responses a successful photographer will make one feel about his photos. Photography and writing are subjective. A photograph’s value is based on its viewer’s interpretation of it and quality writing is defined by the reader. As a result, photographers try to engage their viewers in their photography by being creative with angles, perspectives, and subjects. Likewise, Whitman approached writing in a more imaginative and innovative way by using free verse and vivid imagery. While some may criticize his work, the idiosyncrasies in his writing are what make him an effective and revered writer in modern culture.

The Seemingly Unrelated Topics of Poetry and Athletics

The Seemingly Unrelated Topics of Poetry and Athletics


Team sports are exhilarating to watch and to play. Each player gets a moment of glory as she helps advance the team. The coaches are filled with pride whenever a shot is made or a pass is perfectly executed. However, any team player knows that a game can only be won if everyone works together well as one unit. Poetry is the same way. The writer controls what words or players are in the game and the words help to advance the poem to the end. Walt Whitman’s style of poetry is quite similar to this idea of collectiveness and has a smooth flow when read, which is why Walt Whitman’s poetry is similar and related to sports.


Good athletes know that in order to become a good player her sport must become second nature. The game should feel like a conversation between the players and between the two teams. While Whitman definitely makes use of his poetic terms his writing is still has a colloquial manner; it feels like the narrator is talking to the reader. Whitman has an uncanny ability to show images and express emotions through poetry as if two friends are talking about their day. “How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he”(28). Here Whitman write as if the words are being said directly to the reader and not to some unmentioned character speaking with the narrator. Sports are similar in the same way that once an athlete does not think about the words or the techniques she has acquired the game becomes more seamless and flows like a conversation between two old friends. The questions Whitman poses are like when players work through a play seamlessly. Each player is like one of Whitman’s questions. Independently they are meaningless, but together they are able to accomplish the goals of the coach. But ultimately it is up to the players and the words to win.


The choices made in an athletic competition and in poetry affect the outcome greatly. The difference between a win or a loss is the same as the difference between a good stanza of poetry and a confusing stanza of prose. In “Song of Myself,” Whitman makes use of a wide variety of vocabulary, but still manages to sound smooth because of his intentional choices. “I am not an earth nor an adjunct of an earth, I am the mate and companion of people, all just as immortal and fathomless as myself. ” Instead of only stating that he is a small and insignificant compared to the rest of the world, he uses metaphors to show and not tell what he is trying to say. From a single sentence a reader can feel the unimportantance and lackadaisical mood of the writer. Much like on the field where a player must decide how to move the ball up and into the endzone. Authors have to figure out the best way to portray their emotions most effectively. Just like a coach or a trainer must figure out how to work each athlete to ensure a win.


Whitman is the coach of poetry. His job is to guide the players or in this case words to their proper position and knows how to meticulously use them to his advantage. “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”(26).His use of the words lean and loafe create a feeling of relaxation in the mind of the reader. Just like how a starting line up can instill excitement and eagerness in sports fans. Choices made by both can drastically change the outcome, both negatively and positively.


Nothing can be perfected without practice. Poetry and sports are art forms that must be practiced over a lifetime to perfect. Walt Whitman’s writing is the equivalent of a perfectly timed give and go or a perfectly executed touchdown. Executing an 100 yard rush is nearly impossible, and similar to Walt Whitman, whose style and expertise is nearly impossible to reproduce, the chances that anyone will ever be able to be like him is virtually impossible. But as Whitman put it best, “I may be as bad as the worst, but, thank God, I am as good as the best.”

The Underground

Eli Bickford

Mr. Arcand

English III C Block

18 December 2014

The Underground

Walt Whitman was a writer who pushed the boundaries, accepted being an outlier, and only after his death, received the appreciation that his work deserved after his death; in this way, nothing is more analogous to Whitman’s poetry than the New York Underground. The New York Underground, today, is a network of beautiful, creative, boundary pushing tunnels that represent a time and place almost lost to us. These magnificent tunnels, however, were long abandoned and thus, fell into a state of decay. Only now, in a new age of urban exploration are the New York Underground is finally receiving the praise and appreciation its so rightfully deserves. The tunnels, the people, and the many other things that can be found in these tunnels have striking similarities to the kind of the style and content found in Whitman’s work

        Whitman constantly asks his reader to see and experience in a different ways. In Canto Two of “Song of Myself,” Whitman, addressing those who talk about the what will happen in the future and those who analyse the past, writes, “There was never any more inception than there is now,” (Whitman 27). Whitman sees the present as the only interesting and important aspect of life. Similarly, the New York Underground is the perfect example of living in the moment. The residents fight for daily survival and spent their time either enjoying the moment with the many others in their situation. Additionally, the movement of the trains, of the tracks, of her visitors, make the Underground a place where the present is the only thing that matters.

Another critical topic that Whitman addresses is the idea of being real. In Canto 1 of “Song of Myself,” Whitman writes, “I harbor for good or, I permit to speak at every hazard, Nature without check with original energy” (Whitman 26). Whitman uses his poetry at a platform for honesty rather than considering what his readers would have thought of him, Whitman’s poetry is bold and righteous. This quality holds true for the New York Underground. Its residents, as well as its architecture, is bold. A walk through the New York Underground's network of tunnels gives its visitor a sense of insignificance, as if the nature of the tunnel’s is confident and firm. The tunnel’s are what they are.

Whitman examines the idea of mystery in his poetry. In “As I Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life,” Whitman writes,“As the ocean so mysterious rolls toward me closer and closer,” (Whitman 45). The image of the setting of this poem is mysterious like the intricacy of the tunnels. The network of New York Underground holds a simplicity that Whitman attempts to achieve in his poems, while also exposing how mysterious and strange the system can be. More specifically, the tunnels are mapped out in a simplistic way that mirrors the general land masses of the above ground world; however, the tunnels, within the simplistic map have homes, art, and many other secrets hidden within its depths. Much of Whitman’s poetry is contains this false simplicity.  In “Out Of The Cradle Endlessly Rocking,” for example, Whitman writes, “Up from the mystic play of shadow, twining and twisting as if they were alive,” (Whitman. 47).

Additionally, Walt Whitman’s poetry and the New York Underground contain true beauty. The choice of words in Whitman’s work and the long winding Underground give whomever has the honor of experiencing either, blessed. This fact is less of a similarity than a product because while Whitman’s poetry professes to be true, honest, or bold it only achieves true beauty because its maker’s intentions were true. The mysterious, righteous, and profound tunnels of the underground are beautiful because the product of their qualities allows it.

Street Fighter and Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman’s Shoryuken

The fundamentals of Street Fighter share many characteristics with the fundamentals of Walt Whitman's poetry. Knowing when to use a shoryuken against an enemy is a question that can be answered through careful analyzation of Whitman’s literary work -- so long as one knows what to look for. Both Street Fighter and Whitman's poetry require the attention of one's surroundings, accepting oneself, and separating oneself from others when they become too intense.

Becoming a good player in Street Fighter requires many qualities, such as foresight, good reflexes, and good observation. However, two of the most important skills are living in the moment and paying attention to the little things that are hard to notice in the heat of battle. Whitman alludes to noticing the smaller details that people tend to overlook when he writes:

“Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems,
You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are millions of suns left,)
You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books,
You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,
You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self ” (Canto 2 lines 28-35).

Pausing one’s mind for a moment and simply observing is a key factor in both winning a fight and in understanding more about the world. Paying attention to one's health and special attack meters is essential to Street Fighter in the same way that observing one’s world is essential to forming one’s own unadulterated opinions about it. Whitman, being so open-minded and free-thinking for his time, believed that it was important for everyone to understand the world through one’s own critical thinking, observation, and comprehension.

          Whitman also has an unadulterated love for himself. In “Song of Myself” Canto 3, Whitman writes, “Not an inch nor a particle of an inch is vile, and none shall be less familiar than the rest (Lines 28-29)” Here, Whitman’s speaker is saying that he accepts every part of himself and is not ashamed of himself. Similarly, in Street Fighter, a player cannot be doubtful of her skills when she is playing. It is important to remember that one’s own instincts are reliable and that they should be counted on in times of doubt. Considering the fast-paced nature of a match in Street Fighter, actions that do not require planning are vital to one’s arsenal.

Besides instincts, studying the game of Street Fighter itself can make one a better player. However, the problem with any fighting game is that there will always be people who over-analyze it, possibly by learning the movement of frames to the point that these people can know what one will do before the move has even been done. People who play Street Fighter for fun separate themselves from these overzealous gamers. This is similar to how Walt Whitman separates himself from the franticness of society when he writes:“Apart from the pulling and hauling stands what I am,” (Canto 4 line 14). It’s hard not to get too involved in Street Fighter. One might begin participating in tournaments for money or playing online in order to gain more battle points and to look better than other players. Doing these things takes away from the original spirit of the game, which is meant to be fun and friendly. Becoming good at the game is not wrong, but bringing the game into the realm of money induces a feeling of intense competition that is more hostile than it is exciting. The difference can be compared to a fencing match with protective equipment as opposed to a gladiator match.

To connect Walt Whitman’s poems with Street Fighter seems bizarre at first, but much of what Whitman said in the past is still relevant today. In fact, it is the fact that people today can read Whitman’s poems without the shock of his contemporaries that shows he was ahead of his time and possibly more relevant to today’s society than his own. Whitman may have shocked and offended most of his contemporaries, but people today would not be so open to his ideas today without his early contributions to literature and how they affected philosophy. The inadvertent integration of Whitman’s open-mindedness about philosophy and sexuality into modern culture has conditioned people to accept those ideas today.

An Even Match: Federer v. Whitman

An Even Match: Federer v. Whitman

Not many people play tennis and also become a well-known poet; Whitman is part of the majority. Although Walt Whitman, an early American poet, did not play tennis, his style of writing in his poem “Song of Myself” can be related to the game of tennis. The unpredictable changes, the key to crossing a boundary, and the self-centered perspective are all factors of both. And in both Whitman’s poem and tennis, these characteristics are all entwined and work together to create the art and game we know today.

“Song of Myself,” a poem by Walt Whitman, is unpredictable, just like a game of tennis. In cantos 1-6, the way Whitman writes is self-centered, in the first line saying, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself” (canto 1), but all the cantos from 1-6 have a certain innocence and purity about them. He writes, “Clear and sweet is my soul, and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul” (canto 3). These first couple of sections of the poem are all portraying the world as having no “more perfection than there is now” (canto 3) and in canto 6, the sort of innocence a child carries. After reading these first six sections, one would think that the rest of the poem would be around the same topic and tone. However, suddenly in cantos 7-12, the mood changes drastically into something dark. So unexpectedly, in canto 7, Whitman writes, “I hasten to inform him or her it is just as lucky to die” (canto 7), and in canto 8 he writes, “The suicide sprawls on the bloody floor of the bathroom” (canto 8). This sudden, unpredictable change in the mood and subject of the poem is reflected in a tennis match. In tennis, there is no way of telling the outcome of the match--there is no time limit and a minimum of 48 points, or opportunities to make a comeback. Even if a player is down 0-6, 0-5, 0-40 (match point), he or she has the chance to get back on his or her feet and win the match. The outcome of a tennis match can be unpredictable, just like the cantos of Walt Whitman’s poem, “Song of Myself.” Not only can both be unpredictable, but they also have boundaries that need to be crossed and keys to cross them.

There is more to tennis than what can be seen on the outside. It is not only about the technique or the physical strength or endurance. The key is a player’s strength of his or her mental game. If there’s even a single thought such as, “I can’t win,” “I can’t do this,” or “She’s better than I am,” the points following will end badly and continue to do so until those thoughts leave the mind. In tennis, the boundary between winning and losing can only be crossed with a strong mental game. That is the key to winning a tennis match, and similarly, in Walt Whitman’s poem, “Song of Myself,” imagination is the key to crossing boundaries one cannot cross in reality. In canto 11, a woman is watching “twenty-eight young men bathe by the shore” (canto 11), and since it would be inconceivable to go and join them, that boundary is crossed by her imagination, as Whitman conveys when he writes, “An unseen hand also pass’d over their bodies” (canto 11). Both of these boundaries, though different, need a key to cross it, and in the case of tennis and “Song of Myself,” there are keys to break through that boundary. The boundaries and keys in both tennis and Whitman’s poem link them together, just as the self-centered nature of both do also.

Walt Whitman is considered to be a vulgar, self-centered poet, but though he is not considered to be quite as vulgar as some present day works of art, he is still considered self-centered. This egotistical view of Walt Whitman is shown in his poem, “Song of Myself.” Even before reading the poem, the title already hints at Whitman’s self-centered style. However, if one begins to read the poem, he or she will find even more evidence of the egotistical personality of Walt Whitman. He writes, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume,” (canto 1). The sort of arrogance he portrays in this poem, asserting that even he looks up to himself and that everyone should follow his example is not directly translated into “tennis language,” but like Walt Whitman is always thinking of himself, a tennis player cannot be distracted. During a match, a player requires complete focus on him/herself--Where do I hit the ball? How much height should I give the ball? Should I run up to net?--and cannot be separated from the game at any time during the match. The friends on the sidelines, the teammates cheering, nothing can faze a player. Although this self-centered way of playing a sport is not as extreme as Walt Whitman’s egotistical personality, they are similar.

By watching a game of tennis and skimming over Walt Whitman’s poem, “Song of Myself,” there are not any connections between them. However, with boundaries needed to be crossed, keys to be used, the unpredictability of the outcomes, and the self-centered aspect of both, Whitman and Roger Federer might have more in common than one would think.

An Economic Methodology to Whitman

Sophia Kyllmann

A supply and demand graph is used in studying several topics: economies, production, markets, and Walt Whitman’s writing. Whitman, born in 1819, revolutionized the time between transcendentalism and realism. Considered to be one of the greatest American poets, Whitman tackled controversial topics that Americans of the 19th century left unaddressed. Alongside other 19th century writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Emily Dickinson, Whitman transformed American literature. Ironically, the supply and demand graph was also “born” in the 19th century--first used to describe economics in 1830. The graph consists of two oppositely-sloped lines: a positive one representing the supply of a certain good and a downwards one showing the demand of the same good. Economists use the graph to determine at what price a market should sell a good and the quantity that should be produced, also known as the equilibrium. Whitman’s radical way of writing poetry and his constant shifts in tone resemble the supply and demand graph, with two lines running in opposite directions and meeting at a common point.

Because of its positive slope and foundation-like structure, Whitman's joyful side in writing can be thought of as the “supply” line of a market graph.To some extent, Whitman creates two speakers in his poems, the first of whom only writes about appealing topics. This speaker is the supply line, moving upwards through the graph. In his poem “When I Heard at the Close of the Day,” Whitman channels this more positive side of him, writing, “I rose at dawn from the bed of perfect health, refresh’d, singing, inhaling the ripe breath of autumn” (6-7). Whitman uncovers the sensation of waking up in a happy scenario and exploring himself as a poet. In doing so, Whitman represents the supply line of the graph, showing how he continuously builds his theme on joyous topics, moving upwards towards a happier tone. This happy side of Whitman's poetry was the side accepted in the 19th century. The positive line of the supply and demand graph of economics is represented in Whitman’s poetry through pleasant descriptions and references that are easier to digest. However, the other side of Whitman is also present in his poetry and can be seen through the opposite demand line.

The demand line in a market graph has a negative slope and can be interpreted as the darker side of Whitman. This aspect can be considered his“low” point, the times in which he writes about erotic or gruesome topics. This second side of Whitman is his other speaker, the one who avoids pleasant topics. Whitman incorporates this dark side often, writing lines such as, “O, powerless is this struggling brain / To rend the mighty mystery; / In dark, uncertain awe it waits / The common doom, to die” ("Time to Come" 25-28). Whitman also explores erotic scenes throughout his poems. In “The Sleepers,” Whitman writes, “I see a beautiful gigantic swimmer naked through the eddies of the sea…” (1-2). Whitman’s sexual poems often include homosexual references, making most of his 19th century readers uncomfortable and adding to the idea of his being a low-life, or a demand line that only moves negatively until it reaches rock bottom. Whitman’s controversial writing and morbid tone are accurately represented by a demand line in a market graph. The two lines, supply and demand, eventually meet at a point, balancing the graph and balancing Whitman’s writing.

The equilibrium point in a supply and demand lines depicts the harmony that exists in Whitman’s style of writing. The equilibrium point is also known as the the point in which the demand and supply lines cross, reaching perfect congruity. Although the poet uses different tones and themes throughout his poems, the two sides eventually merge in his grand scheme. In “Song of Myself,” Whitman switches back and forth between the topics of individuality, love, death, and sex, bringing with it what may seem like a ping-pong match between his two speakers. On one side are his somewhat happy cantos, where he writes phrases such as, “There was never… any more youth or age than there is now, and will never be any more perfection than there is now” (Canto 3). On the other side of his spectrum, Whitman writes, “The butcher-boy puts off his killing-clothes, or sharpens his knife at the stall in the market, I loiter enjoying his repartee…” (Canto 12). However, this constant crossing of boundaries in Whitman’s writing creates a balance of sorts when read as a whole. The cantos each take on different approaches, but together reflect a common theme of self-reliance, valuing the individual, and coexisting with diversity. These themes are the poem’s “equilibrium point,” which keeps its significance no matter the path.

As Whitman jumps between different tones throughout his poem, he exemplifies a supply and demand economics graph. His portion of poetry that concentrates on light subjects such as the individual or nature can be considered as the “morally uplifting” supply line, especially in the eyes of his 19th century readers. On the other hand, Whitman also covers harsh, controversial topics, connecting him to a demand line on the same market economy graph. As perpendicular lines, the two must eventually cross each other at one point, creating their equilibrium point. At this balance, Whitman expresses his desired themes while still keeping disturbing poetry. The supply and demand graph thus comes to show how the boundaries that Whitman crosses in his poems serve a purpose. As seen through the market graph, Whitman can be viewed through multiple lenses, yet his work will forever hold an original and untainted meaning.

Whitman's Mental Map

Whitman’s Mental Map

Driving has varying meanings- boring, long, work, helpful-but in regard to Walt Whitman, it is poetry. Whitman drove his mind's course. He controlled the wheel on all of his mental paths toward great discovery. Simple as it may sound, in his poetry, Walt Whitman drove through and analyzed his mind and put his mental map on paper. Whitman has strong themes embodied in his writing-three of those being discovering one’s “self,” individualism, and exploring new ideas. In “Song of Myself,” readers see a relation to each of these points in the different cantos. Driving symbolically connects to all of these themes.

Discovering one’s true “self” is an extreme challenge. People dedicate their whole lives to finding it. Walt Whitman embodies this task in much of his poetry. “Song of Myself” focuses on individuality in Canto 1. Here, Whitman explores his self by absorbing memories or ideas from his past, and then brings them back to his “self.” He discovered he could powerfully connect back to his roots, which influenced his later experiences. Through this he was learning how to understand the self and where it originated.“I loafe and invite my soul / I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass / 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” (canto 1). Whitman, thinking of the land he grew up in and of his ancestors, realizes that every leaf of grass is a sign of translation.Whitman recognizes the grass growing from the ground he stood as the spirits reaching to him from his ancestors below. Through taking time to personally analyze them, these signals help Whitman fully discover and understand his past. This writing and idea of the “self” relates to driving because through driving one can discover her “self.” One has ample time to sit and think when she is alone in the car to analyze her “self,” just like Whitman did. In canto 1 Whitman explains a need to analyze one’s “self” to understand it.

Transitionally, once one starts to understand her “self,” and what she is made of, she is able to focus on her true goals and ideals and deviate from the norm. Individualism is another theme embodied by Whitman’s poetry. Song of myself relates to individualism in canto 4, where Whitman analyzes how people in today’s society are absorbed by news and outside forces, but instead they need to focus on their own ideas what personally matters to them:

“People I meet, the effect upon me of my early life or the ward / and city I live in, or the nation / The latest dates, discoveries, inventions, societies, authors old / and new /...Battles, the horrors of fratricidal war, the fever of doubtful / news, the fitful events / These come to me days and nights and go from me again / But they are not the Me myself,” (canto 4).

Whitman analyzes how everyone around him is constantly absorbed in outside distractions such as the news. However, he explains how these are not one’s “self.” ”Backward I see in my own days where I sweated through fog with linguists and contenders, I have no mockings or arguments, I witness and wait,” (canto 4). Here, Whitman portrays that one’s “self” does not consist of beliefs from other people, instead it watches and thinks for himself. This practice is similar to sitting in one’s car, where are no outside distractions. Individualism, or thinking for oneself, is key as portrayed by Whitman, because people need to find their own beliefs-not follow others. This idea of individualism relates because when driving, one goes past exploring her “self,” but after that she can explore what she truly wants. While sitting alone in a car, one can think about her own opinions without being distracted by others. Therefore one is able to develop individual characteristics.

Accordingly, after people learn to deviate from the norm, they are able to “take their wheel” and explore new ideas because they have developed their own opinions and ideas what they want to do with their lives. “Song of Myself” relates to exploring new ideas in canto 11, where Whitman explores an unknown road. In this time period, men would usually watch naked women for erotic pleasure; however, Whitman reverses these roles and portrays a woman secretly watching naked men a finding a pleasure from it, and she even joined the men in the water presumably portraying sexual activity. “Dancing and laughing along the beach came the twenty-ninth bather,  The rest did not see her, but she saw them and loved them...An unseen hand also pass'd over their bodies, It descended tremblingly from their temples and ribs,” (canto 11). The woman’s pleasure and attraction is proved with the words “love” and the woman’s active pursuit to physically be with the men. This poem was an extreme deviation from the norm; it was not common at this time to portray women as acceptable sexual creatures like men. However, this piece portrayed the pleasure gained from the action-effectively portraying it as acceptable. Branching away from typical society beliefs relates to driving because it gives the ability to do the action that deviates from the norm. Once one has interpreted her “self,” and aimed for individualism, she will know what she wants to do, for herself, not for society. All she needs to do is get in the driver’s seat and follow her mental map.

Walt Whitman not only drove but he discovered. Through exploring what one’s “self” means, investigating individualism, and promoting expanding from society’s norms, Whitmans mental map hit many locations other poets has not touched. Walt Whitman’s writing embodied the action of driving.

Surfs Up Dickinson

Although Dickinson was not the most experienced surfer, many of her poems were similar with the action of surfing. Dickinson’s poems embodied the beauty, rhythm, and ideals of the American people. Because Dickinson wrote in the period following the Civil War, she often wrote about subject that would not have bee written about, the beauty of the world. Her poems acted as a pillow, softening the blow of the war. Around one-hundred years later, the Hawaiian act of surfing began to get popular. People all around the world admired surfing’s relaxing feel, complexity, and delicacy. Emily Dickinson’s poems share profound similarities with the act of surfing.

Surfing connects nature's simplicity with the surfer; this is parallel to Dickinson’s poems as she connects nature's beauty with the wounded American people. While riding a wave all distractions disappear. One's skill determines what he or she does on a wave; however, nature is in control. All that lay between one and the water is a styrofoam board. One thoroughly embraces the greater forces and flows with it. The surfer has no control where the wave will carry him or her; however, he or she still goes with it. The surfer literally becomes one with the wave. As a surfer, one is merely an observer of nature. The beauty is elicited from each wave. Surfing’s connection with nature is similar to Dickinson’s poems. Following the Civil War, the American people were spiritless and let down. It was a time when people looked for hope and fortune. Dickinson did not help people gain hope; yet, she gave reader a strong relationship with nature. In Dickinson’s poem “Nature,” she goes into profound detail about the connections one is able to have with nature. “Nature is what we know—/yet have no art to say—/so impotent our wisdom is/to her Simplicity” (Lines 9-12). Dickinson does an outstanding job in helping the American people. She helps one develop a personal relationship with nature. Her poems helped aid people in their recovery from the Civil War. Dickinson’s poems and surfing both acts as a bridge between a person inner self and nature’s beauty.

Dickinson's style of writing can be related to the physical act of surfing a wave. Although each one of Emily Dickinson’s poems is unique in its way, the style of her writing remains constant. All of her poems flow. Each word rolls off the reader’s tongue easing one into the poem. In Dickinson’s poem “I’ll tell you how the sun rose,” the wording of each line connects perfectly with the previous lines. “I’ll tell you how the sun rose, - a ribbon at a time. The steeples swam in amethyst, the news like squirrels ran” (Lines 1-4). The copious number of “s” sounds allow the reader to flow from line to line. This idea of rolling from word to word is exactly how a surfer feels when powering down a wave. As one surfs wave, he or she moves with the water. Instead of the commonly thought idea of riding on top of a wave, the rider flows with it. The sense of togetherness with the wave unparalleled. The closest example to the flowing of a wave is Dickinson’s style of writing, it just seems to go.

When surfing, one channels an otherwise unfound part of oneself. The minute someone gets up on a wave, a somewhat supernatural force takes over and allows a totally different person to come out. Channeling this special personality is also seen throughout Emily Dickinson’s poems. Dickinson expresses ideas through different points of view, making each of her poems highlight some of her different characteristics. Dickinson rarely speaks from her point of view. In many of Dickinson’s poems, she assumes different personas. These different personas show readers who Emily Dickinson is. Dickinson may not feel comfortable speaking from her point of view but when writing as a different person many of Dickinson’s hidden values come out. In her poem “I Could Not Stop for Death,” Dickinson writes about something that she never had actually witnessed. “Because I could not stop for death--he kindly stopped for me-- the carriage held but just ourselves-- and immortality” (Lines 1-4). Dickinson’s poem discusses about what she thinks about death. This poem, however, is not 100 percent accurate of what Dickinson had witnessed. The reader cannot tell who is talking. Dickinson’s persona helps strengthen her opinion about death. As a person surfs, he or she shares a similar experience as Dickinson had while she wrote her poems.  As one surfs, he or she can be whoever. When one gets up on a wave, different emotions and personalities take over a person. Like Dickinson’s personas, surfing makes people feel differently than they “usually” do.

The act of surfing can be compared with the ideas behind Emily Dickinson’s poems. Both surfing and Dickinson’s poems share similarities; moreover, they share similar ideas. When reading Dickinson’s poems one relates with her many ideas, while when surfing one can harness nature’s many meanings. Surfing helps people understand how small one is in the whole scheme of things. Although surfing and Emily Dickinson’s poems are two completely different things, they are still similar.

Happy vs. Whitman

Happy vs. Whitman  

The literary talents that Walt Whitman possessed made him one of the most unique and notable poets of his time.  His poetry stunned many; people considered it to be grotesque or overly  sensual and vulgar.  Emily Dickinson once said in a letter to Thomas Higginson, “You speak of Mr. Whitman.  I never read his Book-but was told it was disgraceful.” (http://goo.gl/hp6sMp)  People had a negative perception of Whitman’s poetry, but now people see its literary value.  Still, people have unique experiences when reading his poetry.  A kindergarten witnessing his first PG-13 movie such as Happy Gilmore, ironically has a similar experience.

When a kindergartener first gazes at the movie Happy Gilmore, his mind explodes with new ideas, understandings and confusions.  The child’s astonishment is similar to the astonishment of a person new to Walt Whitman poetry.  When a person in the late 1800s read a line from one of Whitman’s poems, he or she may come across a line such as this one, “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,” (Song of Myself, Canto 8) the person is taken aback.  They do not know what to think; they stop reading because they are still hung up on the brashness of the last line they read.  Similarly, when a kindergartener hears the line, “Where were you on that one dip shit,” (Happy Gilmore) he is understandably shocked.  The child’s mind becomes fixated on the words “dip shit” because the child has never heard such vulgar profanity used so casually.  In both cases, the audience stops and thinks after comprehending the grotesque words.  Certain lines in Whitman’s poems have the same effect as various lines in Happy Gilmore.  The poetry and the movie display shocking word choice that stuns their respective audiences.

Walt Whitman was discredited for writing poetry sensual poetry that was too explicit and too graphic.  Whitman was also openly gay during a time when homosexuality was not fully accepted making his sensual poetry more questionable to people.  In Canto 11 of Song of Myself, Whitman writes, “An unseen hand also pass’d over their bodies, It descended tremblingly from their temples and ribs.” (Song of Myself, Canto 11)  In the late 1800s this style of writing was unheard of.  People did not know what to think when they read such vulgar words.  In Happy Gilmore, Happy learns how to visualize his “happy place” when he visualizes this the viewer gets a glimpse of Julie Bowen in lingerie carrying two beers.  To a male kindergartener this scene is perplexing. A kindergartener would have to question why this would be someone's happy place.  Then when the boy understands why, after watching the movie again, he is dumbfounded why the director would include a scene so graphic and sexual.

While Canto 11 is a sensual, peaceful Canto,  Canto 12 starts with a butcher hanging up his slaughtering cloths and beginning to sharpen his knives: “The butcher-boy puts off his killing-clothes, or sharpens his knife at the stall in the market.” (Song of Myself, Canto 12)  The reader becomes tense because of the quick change in moods between the two cantos.  Happy also experiences intense mood changes.  He grows irate speedily when provoked by miniscule things.  In one scene Happy goes mini golfing to work on his putt and gets stuck at hole because a clown face blocks his ball and then laughs moronically.  About 30 seconds later Happy breaks of the clown’s nose with one swing of his golf club and promptly begins yelling at the inanimate clown head.  The transition between the two cantos and Happy’s mood swings have similar effects on the viewers.

When the kindergartener first sees Happy Gilmore his mind is put in a state of perplexion in curiosity.  He thinks that he has seen either the greatest movie of all time or has seen the worst; therefore, he does the only logical thing and watches the movie after every school day to better understand the movie.  People reading Whitman’s poems are put through a similar process.  They have to read the poem again and again because their mind has just been taken to a place it has never been before.  The experience a young mind has after witnessing Happy Gilmore (never seeing another PG-13 movie before) is similar to the experience an educated person has after reading Walt Whitman’s poetry.

Whitman vs Tennis

Whitman vs. Tennis

Walt Whitman is known as an American poet in the nineteenth century that has transcended the concept of traditional poetry. Whitman’s poems includes bold and provocative use of language, which made him unpopular during his time. Because of his use in language, Whitman’s insightful knowledge was not  recognized until later years. The major themes that Whitman explores in his poems are the beauty of individuality and the cycle of growth and death. Compared to those of traditional poetry, Whitman had a unique style in his poems which set the model for modern poets. The sport of tennis can be compared to the ideas Whitman imposed in his poetry. The idea of individuality, the cycle of birth and death, and the concept of experiencing through action can be related to all parts of tennis.

The beauty of Whitman’s poems lie in his praise of individuality, and that beauty of individuality is valued in the game of tennis. In Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself”, Whitman says, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself,” which implies his praise in the self (Whitman, “Song of Myself”). For a tennis player, it is important for him or her to believe in his or her self. Confidence is a major factor that allows players to perform their best on court.Almost fifty percent of the game of tennis is mental, and the only one who can control the mental game is oneself. Like poets, tennis players need to be reflective of themselves. When the player is able to self reflect and learn from mistakes, the player then can improve. A player needs to have the confidence to reflect and accept the mistake he or she has made. Like how Whitman’s poems talk about the beauty in individuality, the beauty of individuality found in tennis is when there is only one and one’s self. Whitman’s poem can be further related to tennis with the cycle of growth and decay.

The cycle of growth and decay applies in the situation of tennis when it comes to the development of a player. Whitman in his poem mentions being alive and dead. His speaker asks in his poem, “What do you think has become of the young and old men?” (Whitman, Song of Myself). He then mentions that when someone dies, “They are alive and well somewhere, 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/” (Whitman, Song of Myself). Whitman’s idea applies to the idea of tennis in that the sport lives on. In the history of tennis, there were many players that have had set records. Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver, and Pete Sampras are legends that had appeared in tennis history. When these players were at their prime, people would call them “The Greatest of All Times.” When these legends grew old, people thought that the game of tennis would die because no one could bring the same type of game to the history of tennis like them. Whitman addressed in his poem that the people that died are still alive and well somewhere. When the old players retire, there are also “young guns” that takes over and create history. The potential young players do not get recognized until later in their career. The young’s ability to play comes to surface when the old starts to decline. Like Whitman said, “All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses” (Whitman, Song of Myself). The game of tennis moves on like life: the new replaces the old and more history are yet to be made.

Whitman declares in his work “Song of Myself” that in order to truly comprehend something, one needs to experience it for him or herself. The act of experiencing is important in tennis as well. “I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person” (Whitman, Song of Myself). Whitman would go as far as to understand the pain of a wounded by becoming a wounded person. Whitman’s idea applies to tennis in that in order for one to learn the skills of a shot, it takes the action of actual experience and practice to truly master the shot. In order to get better as a player, it takes a long time of coaching, studying, and practicing to get better. In the process of learning, players would have to learn the shot from a coach, or even YouTube videos. However, that is taking things at second hand. Whitman claimed in his poem that, “You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books, You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me, You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self” (Whitman, Song of Myself). Whitman implies that one should not look at the world through the eyes of someone else; instead, one should look at the world with his or her own eyes. The same idea applies to tennis where one cannot learn how to hit a shot based on what he or she sees. It takes practice and hours on the court to develop a shot.

Whitman’s work in poetry reflects the game of tennis in that it praises the beauty of individuality, the cycle of new to old, and the act of experiencing. The poetry of Whitman does not only apply to the theme that he is trying to portray, death, life, nature, the self, but it can also be related to other topics such as tennis. Whitman’s insightful ideas in his poetry can be used in reference to the nature of tennis and the act of practicing to make perfect. Tennis itself is an individual sport and the cycle of new players taking over the old players reflects Whitman’s poetry. The action of doing instead of watching in tennis is also mentioned in Whitman’s poem for that Whitman wants not to look through the eyes of someone else, but to experience himself. Whitman’s unique style of writing redefined the standards of poetry, and his transdentalizing ideas also apply to an array of affairs in life.

Controversy, from Poetry to Video Games

Controversy, from Poetry to Video Games

Walt Whitman, though thought of as eccentric and controversial during his life, is considered today to be one of the most famous and respected poets and the characteristics of his poetry surprisingly parallel another completely different media: the video game industry. He brought new ideas and unique writing styles to the world of poetry. Whitman’s most famous work, “Song of Myself,” released well before the age of electronics, shares many of the same features and reactions video games have today. Whitman would often break barriers between two topics for the reader. Video games break the barrier of what is possible and what is impossible for the player. Also, Whitman’s “Song of Myself” keeps the reader interested with sudden changes in topics and video games keep the player interested with the ability to change games. Moreover, when released, both Whitman’s work and certain video games are striking and provocative. Video games, like Whitman's poetry, brought new and unique experiences to the world.   

Both Walt Whitman’s poems and modern video games bring together two ideas or scenarios that usually do not exist together. Whitman, in his poems, would often compare two incomparable topics and bring them together. This comparison would create an interesting Canto in which Whitman would match polar opposites. In Canto 7 of “Song of Myself,” Whitman brings birth and death together. He questions, ”Has any one supposed it lucky to be born? I hasten to inform him or her it is just as lucky to die, and I know it,” (Canto 7). Whitman’s describing death, a terrible tragedy, as lucky is nothing like anyone had seen during the 19th century. Video games relate to “Song of Myself” in the sense that they break the barrier between what is possible and what is not. For example, baseball video games allow the player to place himself as a member of his favorite team and play with his favorite players. This sparks the interest of a potential video game player and attracts them to buy the product as does Whitman’s unusual poetry to a potential reader.  However, it is not just the juxtaposition of two completely different topics that attracts a reader or a buyer to these media, but also the abrupt changes in topic.

Another example of the similarities between Whitman’s “Song of Myself” and video games is the sudden change in focus. Whitman will discuss a certain topic in one Canto and then, a few Cantos later, discuss something completely different. This can be seen in Canto 6, Whitman introduces the topic of grass and goes on as far to question the existence of grass. He ponders, “A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands, How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is anymore than he,” (Canto 6). Then, in Canto 8, Whitman depicts a suicide with bloody floors that seems to have nothing to do with the topic discussed not that long ago. He observes, “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,” (Canto 8).  Whitman may have changed topics quickly to keep the reader entertained rather than boring them by writing about the same thing for a long period of time. Video games also allow the player to change topics quickly. One second the player could be fighting World War III in 2056 on the front lines and a cutscene later, could be hacking into the enemies drone systems. With the short attention span of children today, this feature is a major reason why video games are so popular. The sudden changes in topics, constant thrills and steady entertainment of these two genres could be an interest point for a potential reader or buyer.  While this certainly attracts readers or buyers, the provocative nature of Whitman’s poems and video games also adds to their appeal.

The most common similarity between Whitman’s poetry and video games is that they are both eye catching and provocative. Whitman describes, in great detail, a homoerotic vision his speaker was having. This was considered appalling when it was released and caused Emily Dickinson to call him disgusting. He imagines in Canto 11, “An unseen hand also pass'd over their bodies, It descended tremblingly from their temples and ribs,” (Canto 11).   This eye catching and provocative style is also used in video games. Many violent video games receive abundant amount of scrutiny for being “too violent.”  In Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 there is a mission where the player plays as a terrorist in an airport and kills hundreds of civilians. When the game was released, this mission alone had news channels constantly discussing the game and one country even banned the game. However, this made the game more popular and boosted its sales to over one billion dollars. Whitman received the same type of scrutiny that, most likely, ameliorated his popularity.    

Though calling Whitman’s “Song of Myself” a video game in the 1800’s would be a stretch, they share the same features. They both help bring two unlike things together. Whitman compares two unlike ideas and video games transform someone into something different. Whitman’s sudden change in topics interests a reader in the same way video games interest a player with the ability to change genres instantaneously. And they both bring attention to themselves with their controversial content.  Poetry and video games may seem to be unrelatable; however, Whitman’s poetry serves as entertainment in many different ways as video games do today.     

Artistic Language

Artistic Language

Emily Dickinson was an artist with words, creating images with nothing but letters and punctuation. Poetry is often categorized under literature, not visual arts, but the short verse with which Dickinson creates a picture in the reader’s mind should certainly be considered an art. Much like how drawing an image is composed of lines, shades, and final details, Dickinson’s poems are a drawing of her thoughts, but use words, imagery, and punctuation.

The first and arguably most important part of drawing comes with the outlines of the artist’s image. This is the skeleton for the final piece, and sets the scene for the artist’s image, similar to how the first few lines act as a blueprint for a poem. An outline for a drawing could be anything from a set of circles and lines, to a quick sketch that merely puts each part of a drawing into its place. It sets up the rest of the image. This same idea can be found in many of Dickinson’s poems, such as poems 24 (“The way I read a letter’s this”) and 32 (“Hope is the thing with feathers”). Each one has a few lines at the beginning that give the reader an idea of what the main point of the verse will be without giving too much detail. The reader can then infer that, in 24, Dickinson is going to explain how she chooses to read letters, and that, in 32, hope is easily comparable to a bird. The first few lines are the basis for the entire poem, and they structure the piece without incorporating the imagery that the rest of the poem uses.

A more in depth stage of drawing would be the details, or the parts of the drawing that are pulled out of the outline. The details are what refine a drawing and make it unique, and the same could be said for description in poetry. Adding adjectives to a poem and using imagery will draw the reader into the piece and make him or her see how the poem compares with real life, instead of literary life. When in poem 32 Dickinson states, “And sore must be the storm//that could abash the little bird//that kept so many warm,” she is expanding on the kind of storm that could do such a horrid thing to a warm bird. The lines would not have as much power if she had not personified the storm, or even if she had used another word. With help from an adjective, Dickinson shows that not even a normal storm could harm a bird whose goal is to keep others warm, but only an angered or “sore” storm could. Examples of description can be found in many of her other poems, such as poem 359 (“A Bird, came down the Walk”). In this, Dickinson uses different adjectives to give the reader a better feel for the characters or objects in the poem and to enhance her story’s sense of reality. She compares the Bird’s eyes to rapidly moving beads, thus making it easier for the reader to visualize the eyes of the Bird by linking them to something seen in everyday life. Not only does her use of adjectives enrich the weight of the poem, but it links the reader back to real life by connecting him or her to items that they may be able to picture in their mind. However, details are not the final step of drawing just as adjectives do not finish a poem.

The last part and way to finish a black and white drawing is the addition of shading, or the drawn out the lights and darks of the image. In poetry and writing, punctuation brings out the features of a poem that would otherwise go unnoticed similar to how shading can expand a drawing into something 3-dimensional. The punctuation created the final boundaries for the piece as well as create a tempo for the poem. The punctuation in poetry is particularly important because it is a hint as to how the poet wanted the verses to be read and interpreted. Dickinson is especially famous for her use of punctuation, both common (semi colons, commas, and periods) and uncommon (exclamation marks, dashes, and colons) punctuation. She crafts the poems to say different things with the punctuation, much like how shading can create an atmosphere in an illustrated image. In her poem 202 (“‘Faith’ is a fine invention”) she uses exclamation marks at the end of both sentences to show the tone in which the poem should be understood: “‘Faith’ is a fine invention//For Gentlemen who see!//But Microscopes are prudent//In an Emergency!” The two exclamation marks draw attention to the two lines they are used in, showing that they should be read with more vigor or energy. The tone of the poem becomes brighter. But in 32, she used only the common punctuation, showing that the tone throughout the poem is more monotone, with one flowing idea and no times where there is more or less excitement. It is not a dark tone, but it is not as bright as a sentence with an exclamation mark.

Despite poetry and drawing being two independent forms of art, their creative processes are similar, even if each of the three stages has a different name. The outline and first few lines of poetry set the stage for what the piece will explore, the details and description make that topic more appealing and straight-forward, and the shading and punctuation fill out the piece and turn it into something that seems real. In both cases, the creator is left with a finished piece that can be analyzed and interpreted in more ways than one, but still expresses its creator’s purpose from the first step. Even though creativity is amorphous, the stages of creating a piece will always follow the same patterns.