Comments on: Lincoln: The Real American Poet?

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» Lincoln: The Real American Poet? The Millionth Sun…

By: mscanlon

mscanlon — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:18:49 +0000

One thing I have been thinking about this week reading the poems, lecture, and blog is: where is the body?? We spent several weeks hashing out Whitman’s insistence on the body earlier this semester, and now this dusty, tan-faced, sorrowful, tall man becomes an abstraction of sorts. Where is that wasted, angular, bloody, coffined body?

btw, Kim Roberts said she thought OMW would completely dig the Levi’s ads. Mrs. Whitman, great post, with careful use of language to avoid shaking up your recent reunification with W. Rub-a-dub-dub.

By: nataliesayth

nataliesayth — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:37:38 +0000

At the risk of redundancy, I really appreciate the conversation Brendon has started. I think it speaks to a view of Whitman’s love for Lincoln as more of a steady partnership than a one-way tunnel-visioned infatuation.

Brendon’s observation that Whitman wasn’t elected to speak for the American people as Lincoln is really sticking with me because it does show a weakness that Whitman may well have recognized of himself and his goals. Of course, at least by now, Whitman is so under our bootsoles that the world around us does, to a point, use him as a figure of America(n architectural structures, jeans, beer, game show answers, and other kitsch), if to broadcast messages Whitman didn’t necessarily intend.

By: jpike1

jpike1 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:34:36 +0000

Brendon,
The ideas in your post are so eloquently written. I agree that much of Whitman’s writing was concerned with representing the lives of the “American people”. Although Whitman might not have personally seen his success in doing so, Whitman surely saw Lincoln’s success in reaching out to the American nation. Whitman, watching Lincoln’s authoritative presence throughout the War might have seen Lincoln as a “partner in crime” someone who had better means to reach the masses. Whitman, therefore wants to back his “partner in crime” and describes and supports Lincoln and their mutual goal in creating a better America.

By: chelseanewnam

chelseanewnam — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:49:50 +0000

Brendon,
I pretty much wrote the exact same thing you wrote in your final paragraph in a comment on Erin’s post. I completely agree that Whitman saw and loved Lincoln for his representation of ideals more than anything else. Lincoln fought for a unified America throughout his life as a politician and Whitman fought for a unified America throughout his life as a poet. A melding of politics and poetry is itself a beautiful union, a way to access all kinds of minds. Whitman’s love of Lincoln may partially come from the understanding that perhaps, between the two ways in which these men confronted the American public, working together they could in fact unify the United States. In loving Lincoln, Whitman felt more a part of that fight; his successes in a way hinged on the president’s.