Comments on: Allison for Nov. 10

By: cirvine1965

cirvine1965 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:06:42 +0000

Allison- I should have known that if anyone would find the optimism in this week’s readings it would be you. I had felt this terrible sadness in seeing Whitman deteriorate. Picturing him spending the end of his life alone in a dark room, unable to handle seeing people or even going outside seemed was so heartbreaking in comparison to the vivacious character that we have grown to love. But you’re right, Whitman had a long, full life. And he brought the scope of all of his experience to the final edition of LoG, leaving his readers with a vision of him that was older and wiser, but far from broken. Also- snaps for the Dead Poets clip. I love that movie and haven’t watched it since taking this class but now I really want to see it again, I think that you’re right to assume that Walt would approve.

By: Erin Longbottom

Erin Longbottom — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:53:29 +0000

Yeah DPS reference! One of the reasons I took this class, not gonna lie…
I also see Whitman as somewhat of a grandfather figure (which is a little weird, considering all the sexuality in his work) when I’m reading. I think that’s why last week’s reading upset me. Not only was I envisioning a dying Walt, but also this man who I have a strange familial feeling for, which made it even more sad to me.

By: mscanlon

mscanlon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:05:11 +0000

Great post, Allison. I hope you will go add “Papa Walt” to Brendon’s old post cataloging our various Whitmans. I’ll let our Freudians analyze your search for him….

That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse

I perceive I have no time to lose

These lines you quoted just about sum up Whitman’s urgency, don’t they?

By: chelseanewnam

chelseanewnam — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:43:47 +0000

Allison, this is a wonderful and thought-provoking post. Drawing attention to the differences between the speakers in this poem by comparing them to the Whitmans of 1855 and 1892 is an interesting and, I think, dead on approach to discussing Whitman’s change and progression as a writer and as an individual over time.

In thinking further about this poem, especially via the way you have set up the speakers, it seems to me that the last few lines sum up a lot of Whitman’s intent in writing Leaves of Grass. Whitman’s nationalism and his insistence in one’s self-education live in the lines, “That you are here—that life exists and identity, / That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse” (410). If required to pick a single overarching theme in Whitman’s work, (a difficult task for such a prolific writer and man) I would argue that his work is unified through his desire to destroy apathy and complacency in Americans, or rather in the human race. These lines suggest that the point of living is to “suck the marrow out of life” (to go back to your lovely allusion to the Dead Poets’ Society, a plug I very much appreciate 😉 ), to be an individual, to think, to do, and to give and receive as much as you can to the world before you are gone from it. I find it interesting that these lines are situated under the heading Answer., as if Whitman himself is providing a life remedy, a straightforward, doyougetitnow? approach to the themes he addresses in his work.

By: kevinv

kevinv — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:15:41 +0000

Interesting take on the two editions i think i would have to agree. But we cant be mad at the guy for the second approach, it came with his old age.