Factual Origins of Fiction

The fiction we read often has a large effect on our lives. As such, it’s important to understand where this fiction originates. Authors draw from reality to create their works of fiction, and almost all works of fiction have their roots in either factual places or events. Authors also try to put themselves into their works to give them more character.

                  Edgar Allan Poe’s 1843 work “The Black Cat” is a good example of a work of fiction with factual roots. Despite featuring supernatural elements, this short story contains many of Poe’s personality traits and vices. The narrator in “The Black Cat” is heavily against alcoholism and goes to great lengths to show how damaging it is (as evidenced by his frequent “for what disease is like Alcohol”) (Poe). This is rooted in reality, as Poe was rumored to have an issue with alcohol dependence. It even appears that Poe died of alcoholism, while the medical records surrounding his death have been lost, the newspapers reported that his death was caused by “cerebral inflammation” and “congestion of the brain” (at the time common euphemisms for alcoholism).

                  Almost forty years before “The Black Cat”, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1804 work “The Minister’s Black Veil” draws even more heavily from factual events and locations. Though never mentioned directly in the story, the setting of “The Minister’s Black Veil” seems to be a town  similar to Salem, Massachusetts, where Hawthorne was born and raised. The similarities between fact and fiction don’t end there: “The Minister’s Black Veil” draws a lot of inspiration from a real man known as Handkerchief Moody who, like the minister in the story, wore a handkerchief over his face. Handkerchief Moody wore his handkerchief after accidentally murdering his friend, starting after the funeral and never taking it off for the rest of his life. The minister in the story also starts wearing the veil and keeps it on until his funeral.

                  Two hundred and ten years after “The Minister’s Black Veil”, fiction with a basis in fact is being reported as fact by major news corporations to fit certain agendas. The best example of this is conservative media that panders to the 50+ age demographic. Due to the nature of conservative republican viewpoints, these media outlets have to distort reality to fit the narrative of their viewers because viewers bring advertising revenue. Nancy Grace’s creatively named HLN show Nancy Grace is arguably the worst offender in this category, bending the truth and sometimes outright lying about hot-button issues to attract viewers. For example, her stance on recreational marijuana is that it turns people into monsters and killers (as famously seen here). This, of course, is blatantly untrue. However, there is a basis in fact: some people do in fact smoke marijuana to deal with withdrawals from hard drugs or prescription abuse, and this often leads to THC in the systems of violent criminals.

                  In conclusion, the fiction that we read often has a basis in reality. Whether the author derives inspiration from real events or real places, the outcome is a work of fiction that can often have a large effect on our lives.

Fact in The Rough

         Sometimes fictional stories become a reality. In Disney’s movie Bedtime Stories, stories come to life; however, in the real world only parts of stories are seen in one’s everyday life. In 1846, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a short story titled “The Birthmark.” At the beginning of the story, a man named Aylmer meets a beautiful young lady named Georgiana. It was immediately true love. The two are perfect; yet, Aylmer has a problem with Georgiana: he hates the birthmark she has on her face. Throughout the story, the idea of Georgiana's imperfection is prevalent; even in the current day and age, people with imperfections are looked down on. Although Hawthorne’s story is  fictional, the story can be connected with many of today’s current events.

        Because the idea of being perfect is impossible, many people understand that imperfections are normal; yet, there are people who believe that humans with more imperfections should be viewed as a lower class. Emilee Bench of Deseret News wrote an article about the importance of embracing human flaws. Bench covered the gathering of Utah University Students who spoke out about misconceptions of perfection. This gathering is an indicator that there are still negative connotations towards imperfections. “Danger? There is but one danger--that this horrible stigma shall be left upon my cheek!” (Hawthorne). At this point, Georgiana also believes that her birthmark is a curse. If an imperfection such as this birthmark was not seen as a flaw, Georgiana would be able to embrace her difference. People would not have to speak out towards this issue if society embraced flaws. If Aylmer had embraced Georgiana’s birthmark, the ending of Hawthorne’s story would have possibly not have ended with a death.

         Imperfections do not only exist with people but also with objects. Sally Lee of the Daily Mail wrote a piece that explored food imperfections. Today, people stay away from food that looks abnormal. Lee explains how food that looks strange will be less likely bought. This happens because people associate different as “lower” in class. Hawthorne’s perception of these imperfections is shown halfway through his story. “… And she placed her hand over her cheek to hide the terrible mark from her husband’s eyes.” (Hawthorne). Georgiana tries as hard as she can to hide her imperfection to please her husband. If people were to hide food imperfections, much of the world’s agricultural products wouldn't be sold. People have to one day overcome these childish assumptions that everything has to be as close to perfect as possible.

         Hawthorne’s story, “The Birthmark,” main character has an intolerance for Georgiana’s birthmark. Today, one of the world’s problem is intolerance. People do not treat each other as equals. Saba Imtiaz’s article takes a stance on intolerance against the Pakistani people. Until people, such as Aylmer, can learn to accept people for who they are, the world can never be a safe place. A safe world requires each and every person to accept each other. Imtiaz highlights an important problem that many races face. Even though a race is different from personal imperfections, both race and people with imperfection face a similar problem, tolerance. Hawthorne’s story explains problems that are still around today.

         If a story is fictional, it normally means that the story is made up. This, however, is not the case with Hawthorne’s short story. Even though the story has made up concepts, there are similarities the story shares with today’s world. Imperfections are everywhere. As perfect as someone or something may seem, that thing could never be perfect. Perfection as well is a social construct. Who can justify that the something has no flaws? Fiction or not, Hawthorne’s story brings to light a problem with society.

Charming VS Tragic: News in America

Could the literature we read be as real as the news?

It is not often that the New York Times publishes stories about cute kitties on their front page. Although the content would be enjoyable and probably lead to happier readers, the modern representation of news in America is completely focused on tragedy. As news agencies claw over our attention, stories seem to be getting increasingly pessimistic. Tales of murders, rape, disasters, terrorist attacks, wars, and poverty swamp our modern news source--whether on tablets or printed papers. Although crucial to society’s understanding of contemporary problems, these news articles don’t provide information to the world on daily positive occurrences. Bleak news columns don’t publish relatable information for an average reader, but rather shocking and dramatized reports. Journalists make it harder for us to experience a positive interpretation of the world. Short stories extracted from American literature similarly paint the world with a pessimistic outlook. Nathaniel Hawthorne's “The Birthmark” and Kate Chopin's "Desiree's Baby" overshadow their potential for positive stories by taking on a negative outlook. By relating these three short stories to more joyful news pieces, the fictional story lines become relatable to an average reader. The three stories contain aspects that suggest that fiction is often similar to happy modern events covered in the news such as stories of improvements in technology for health, independent survival, and acceptance in universities.

Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” provides a glimpse of a modern society in which science and technology are capable of obtaining powerful results. In a world where technology is increasingly capable of changing health, the achievements seen in Hawthorne’s story prove that there could be a bright future in the medical field. Although the author writes through a pessimistic lens and highlights the death of Georgiana, a further understanding of the story highlights the power of medicine. Aylmer accomplishes a task previously unseen at the time as he was “a man of science, an eminent proficient in every branch of natural philosophy” (Hawthorne). Aylmer dedicated a majority of his life to his profession, and extracted advances in science and technology that were incomparable to what was available in the past. An article published in Sunny Skyz--a news agency dedicated to publishing only positive news--also reports on the power of medicine, but in the 21st century. A blind veteran who served in the U.S. air force for 18 years was given the gift of vision once again through a pair of special glasses. The advances of medicine portrayed here show how technology can change lives. Although the news article does not emphasize the sense of negativity seen in “The Birthmark,” it still demonstrates the power behind our modern medicine. Hawthorne’s short story presents a similar scenario to a seemingly mundane news article, proving that the short story is as realistic as modern news. We don’t need to have obtained great accomplishments in order to relate to fictional literature, it is merely necessary to be inspired by an original life.

Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby” provides a comparison to modern tales of independent women. In this racist and sexist tale, Desiree and her husband Armand find that their baby is part black. Armand, driven by a cynical mindset in which he believes that everything wrong in his life is his wife’s fault, practically kicks Desiree out of the house and “no longer loves her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name” (Chopin). This plot is interpreted as a tragedy in Desiree’s life, but the reality in context is that she ran away from a misogynistic husband into a better life. The tale is similar to an interview with a 109-year-old woman, who claims she survived this long by eating porridge and staying away from men. The accomplished woman states, “My secret to a long life has been staying away from men. They’re just more trouble than they’re worth” (Sunnyskyz). Jessie Gallan serves as a perfect example for women who do not need the help of a man to lead an accomplished life. In this regard, Desiree walking out on her husband is an act of strength and courage rather than of tragedy. Because of this, the news interview with Jessie Gallan relates to the short story in proving that fictional literature is comparable to real modern events.

The modern representation of news focuses on the tragic and negative, leaving a gap of representation for positive news. A drive for tragedy and drama may be the reason behind why people often do not interpret fiction stories as real. However, a further look into modern events shows that happier news in the world is comparable to fictional literature. Short stories such as “The Birthmark,” “Desiree’s Baby,” and “The Minister’s Black Veil” all relate to common worldly events without a pessimistic perspective. As readers focus more on the negative or unreasonable aspects of a story, their ability to compare the tale with modern events loses power. By relating these same stories with more pleasant articles the similarities between fiction and fact grow tremendously. Whether a story of a small accomplishment in medicine, a strong woman who lived independently, or an increasingly accepting society, these events provide a correlation between literature and real life. Maybe if news outlets provided more positive events the modern obsession with tragedy would evolve into an understanding of the average human life and its similarity of fictional literature.

The Truth Behind the Story

The unicorn is purple. This statement is branded fantastical because unicorns do not exist (spoiler alert). However, short stories, though on the outside seem unbelievable, are a fountain of facts at the core. Stories are usually written to convey a message or entertain an audience, but only when compared to the news today is the similarities between the stories and news discovered. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Dark Romantic stories such as “The Minister’s Black Veil” and “The Birthmark” and Kate Chopin’s Realism based stories such as “Desiree’s Baby” are examples of that relationship, and though it may be hard to see, short stories are often as real as the news today.

“Desiree’s Baby,” a short story with a dark undertone, written by a realist, Kate Chopin, seems a little far-fetched; but, after reading an article with a headline of, “Adopted Son Goes 17 Years Thinking He’s Chinese… Finds Out He’s Actually Korean,” Chopin’s story hits closer to home. “Desiree’s Baby” talks of an African American child whose parents, Desiree and Armand, are assumed to be both non-African American. Thinking that Desiree is of African American descent because her family history is unknown, Armand kicks her and their child out of the house. At the end of the story, Chopin reveals to both the reader and Armand that it was in fact he who was of African American origin writing, “I thank the good God… that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery" (Chopin). The idea that the main character does not know of his past, especially one of such distinct significance, is mind boggling and seemingly unrealistic. However, in an article by koreaboo.com that references a Reddit thread, a child is raised as a Chinese boy, only to find out from his parents that he is in fact Korean. The father of the child states, “Now I have a seventeen year old son who thinks he’s Chinese.” This family’s story and the plot to Kate Chopin’s story are very similar: a boy grows up unknowingly living the life of a person of a different culture, then is told by his parents that he is of a different heritage. “Desiree’s Baby” might not be a typical household situation, but it is as realistic as the news nowadays. But, Kate Chopin is not the only author that writes short stories that are factual like news today--Nathaniel Hawthorne does also. 

“The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a Dark Romanticist, speaks of how a minister is shunned by his entire town because he wears a black veil. This story seems a little extreme in terms of the reactions of the townspeople who “quaked” (Hawthorne)  and “trembled” (Hawthorne) at the sight of the minister, but the idea is all the same: there is a person excluded from society because of his/her actions. This same idea is expressed in the article on The Telegraph titled “Lance Armstrong Says He Would Still Dope if He Could Start All Over Again.” Lance Armstrong, a world-renowned cyclist, got stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping. However, because of his attitude toward the situation, with him even saying, “If you took me back to 1995, when doping was completely pervasive, I would probably do it again,” he was shunned by the world. Only after a period of time had passed, he said, did he feel that it was “getting close to the time when he felt like he could be reintegrated into public life.” These two writings both speak the same truth. Short stories such as “The Minister’s Black Veil” are as factual as the news is today. Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of “The Minister’s Black Veil” also wrote another short story, “The Birthmark,” which also spouts realistic situations as seen in the news.

“The Birthmark” a tale of lovers that want to get rid of the wife’s one imperfection--her birthmark, is reflected in modern day news with stories of people being brainwashed into doing something that they think benefits them and others, but ends with a horrible outcome. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark,” the wife at first thinks of her birthmark as good quality, saying to her husband, “It has been so often called a charm that I was simple enough to imagine it might be so” (Hawthorne). But, because her husband kept looking at her with “horror and disgust” (Hawthorne), Georgiana decides that removing the birthmark would benefit both her and make her husband happier, resulting in her death. This short story is close to reality. In the article by aceshowbiz.com “Former ‘Biggest Loser’ Contestant Slams Reality Show, Says She Was Brainwashed,” a former contestant, Kai Hibbard, on the show “The Biggest Loser” talks about what happened during the filming of the show.
 She relayed, “You’re brainwashed to be there. I was thinking, ‘Dear God, don’t let anybody down. You will appear ungrateful if you don’t lose more weight before the season finale.” However, the outcomes were not all as beneficial as they seemed to be. She described her health problems, “My hair was falling out. My period stopped. I was only sleeping three hours a night.” Those long-term health problems and Georgiana’s death are both the result of another party brainwashing the contestants and Georgiana respectively into thinking that the situation will be beneficial. “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is as real as the news that is read today. 

Short stories are looked at to be just that--stories; however, when looked at with a broader perspective, short stories are not that far from the news around the world today. The human race has never been stagnant with its actions, and so within the world today, there are many incidents found to be unbelievable and rare. Though short stories may only be meant for entertainment purposes or to express an opinion, their connections to what happens in reality is strong. Katie Couric and Nathaniel Hawthorne might not have as many differences as one would think.

Fiction, The New Truth

Fiction, The New Truth

            Fiction is often viewed as false, fanatical or not accurate, but that is not the case. Mark Twain once said, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.” This statement holds true in realism short stories where authors explore the obligation of possibilities. Fiction, can describe the most believable events that have not, as far as the public knows, happened before. News, on the other hand, reports events that have actually happened, no matter how unbelievable they are. To summarize, many works of fiction are often as factual as the news we read and hear today.
            Fictional stories can often parallel factual news stories. The similarities are present in “Désirée’s Baby,” written by Kate Chopin, and a report on a mix up at a sperm bank. In the story by Kate Chopin, Désirée, the main character, and her husband have a child that appears to be part African American. Once the husband realizes this, he immediately thinks it is Désirée’s family with that blood and kicks Désirée out of the house. Little does he know, it was actually because of his family’s origin that the baby turns out the way it is. This story is almost a perfect parallel to a Huffington Post report on a mix up at a sperm bank for a lesbian couple. They report “An Ohio woman [is suing] a sperm bank after it mixed up donors and gave her sperm from an African-American man instead of the white one she and her partner selected” (http://goo.gl/K1q2mc)(huffingtonpost.com). This mix up resulted in the lesbian couple suing the sperm bank due to the consequences of this mistake. The parents claim that it has nothing to do with racism on their part but more to do with raising an African American in their hometown which is a 98% white farm town. The similarities between the two stories are shocking. In both stories, a couple has a baby that mysteriously results in black baby, and in both cases the couples were unhappy about how the baby will be perceived. This story proves that a mix up in a babies’ skin color is certainly not fiction and could happen to anyone, even if there seems to be virtually no chance of it happening. However, not only can fiction be as real as the news today, but also news can be as ridiculous as fiction.
           History.com reports in on this day in 1987, “The Goiania Institute of Radiotherapy moved to a new location and left behind an obsolete Cesium-137 teletherapy unit in their abandoned headquarters” (http://goo.gl/Yzj4IT)(History.com). Days later, two criminals stole the unit and sold it to a junkyard where it was dismantled, releasing the Cesium- 137. Fascinated by the glow of the radioactive material, they immediately cut it up and sent it to relatives as gifts. In the end, four people died from radiation poisoning. This story is as ridiculous if not more ridiculous than “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne in which the main character kills his wife by poisoning her in attempts to remove a birthmark via potion. Both stories have relatives that die due to accidental poisoning even though the husband and the criminal both had good intentions, proving fiction is not any more ridiculous than some of the news today.
          Living in his or her own fantasy world is often an expression that describes someone who is not grounded in reality, but that same fantasy world may not be that far from our own reality. Fictional stories can easily line up with many news stories today. “To Build A Fire” and “Désirée’s Baby,” and the reports about the avalanche and the mix up at the sperm bank have incredibly similar story lines. Moreover, the story about the cesium and the radiation poisoning is as implausible as The Birthmark’s plot. Fiction, in general, is not always fairy tales and magical stories. In the end, many fiction stories, especially in the Realism genre, are as factual and real as the news stories today.

A Different Truth

From libraries to college majors, there is a categorical distinction between literary works of fiction and non-fiction. This defined categorization between “truth” and “fantasy” is unfortunate because so often there is a gray area where a given work is both fact and fiction. While it is difficult to claim that a fictional story in which a unicorn sneezes lollipops holds any truth, it is not the actual events of a work of fiction that necessarily cross over to fact, it is the general ideas portrayed in fiction that are as true and factual as possible. Everyday, there are stories in the news about good things, bad things, and everything else in the world. The emotions behind these events and portrayed by their authors are as real as the emotions portrayed in any piece of fiction. Within fiction there are many ways that writers convey the real emotions or their truth. Within the sub-categories of romanticism, dark romanticism, and realism there are different ways that authors convey the real and true emotions in a fictional story.

There are countless great works of romanticism. For example, the story “Rip Van Winkle” perfectly demonstrates the way that authors of romanticism were able to convey as much truth in their work as fiction. In “Rip Van Winkle,” Irving dives into the notion of memory. After Rip’s twenty-year nap he finds himself standing in his village saying, “Does nobody here know Rip Van Winkle?” (Irving 20). In contrast, a New York Times article that discusses President Obama and his policies, will subtly be addressing his legacy. An article reads, “President Obama on Monday released an aggressive $4 trillion budget blueprint for next year…” (NYtimes.com). While this does not directly address Obama’s legacy it is true that this new budget will be a part of how he is remembered. The importance of reputation and the need to be remembered is extremely important to humanity; so, while it is obvious that Rip Van Winkle never actually existed, the fears and other emotions that are portrayed throughout the story are real and seen in everyday news.

        In the genre of Dark Romantics, much of the work is focused on uncovering terrible horrors in the world; this is very similar to much of the news in today’s world. In “The Black Cat,” Poe uses extremes to show a man who has gone insane; while the actual story may not be factual, the truth lies in the insanity. Poe is describing the fact that humans are insane and that sometimes there is no rationality or reason in one’s actions. The insanity that Poe discusses in “The Black Cat” is as true as the insanity found all over the news today. For example, the man who killed 21 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School is as unbelievable as the main character in “The Black Cat.” Dark Romanticism is true to the realities of the world and even if it is pessimistic, it can strangely similar to the events that are in the news everyday.

        Realism may be the genre that most often crosses over to fact. As its name says, realism attempts to show the world as it is. In the story, “To Build A Fire,” London writes about a man who meets his unfortunate death as a result to both lack of knowledge and poor circumstance. London does not give his reader a happy ending. In the story, London narrates, “…he sat up and entertained in his mind the conception of meeting death with dignity” (London 178). It is this genre that best mirrors the facts portrayed in the news. This does not mean that there are no happy endings in real life but more that everything happens as it happens and not because it would be better one way or another. In the 2015 Super bowl, there was no happy ending for the Seahawks. It is an undisputed fact that the Patriots won the game; as it is a fact that the cold won against the man in “To Build A Fire.” In this way, realism is as much fact as it is fiction.

        The lines between truth and fantasy may blur sometimes. However, it is important that the meaning behind fiction writing should be seen as a kind of fact. This fact does not necessarily need to be backed by reality, yet it is the truth of its author. In the news that the media feeds the world, opinion is also fact; not the kind of fact that is proven yet it is true to its author. Both fiction and nonfiction contain their own truths; a different truth.

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.