Through The Eyes Of CHASE…

On Tuesday, October 20, 2009, Professor Gold took on a short field trip with one thing on the mind: Where’s Whitman? Our “tour leader” name was Jesse Merandy. As we ‘Walked with Whitman” through downtown Brooklyn, Jesse showed us many things that in some way form of fashion related to Whitman. We saw the building he used to work at which are still up & at used today. No longer a factory, it is currently residential home 2 some.

We also saw where Whitman and many others would take the Brooklyn Ferry into and out of the city. The tour went very well. At the end, a group of us remained in the area and decided to have lunch at a fantastic pizza restaurant called Grimaldi’s. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, do stop by and have a slice or two because they really have the BEST brooklyn pizza!

We’ve started reading up on Whitman’s other book titled, New York: From Manhattan to Montauk, discusses a lot of his thoughts on the Civil War.

The fire of 1835 was one of, if not the worst fire of all time. There were many challenges which caused this fire to get so out of hand. It inflicted so much damage to the city of New York in the area known today as the Financial District.

To bigin with, the fire was said to have occured on a very cold night. It was so cold that the pipes became frozen, causing the water in the fire hydrants to freeze as well. The firemen who were on duty that night had previously worked a long shift the night before so they lacked in energy. The fire spread very fast because of its location. It started off in a very narrow  and congested street in the city and spread like wild fire through the a great amount of stores.

“Mr. Macready commenced and engagement last evening at the Opera-House, Astor Place, and was to have performed the part of “Macbeth,” whilst his arrival, Mr. Forrest, appeared in the same part at the Broadway theater.”

-Philip Hone

It has come to my attention that I am not the only one who faces some challenges understanding and graping Walt Whitman’s work. He doesnt follow the rules when it comes to writing poetry. His writing style is often first approached as confusing. But if you give it a chance, you’ll quickly begin to realize that anoyone can relate to Whitman’s work in some form of fashion. And it is though relation that one can truly understand his work.

To understand is to become one with his words… to become one with his words is to attempt to step into into Whitman’s world. You step into his world by completely allowing yourself to become what you are reading. Recall when you were a child and your parents read you a fairytale story. The pictures and words always seem to jump up from out the page and into existence. We understood and personally relived, even for a brief moment, the story that was being read to us. This is how one must attempt to read and undersyand Whitman works.

One way to relate to his work is by understanding that he wants you to know that everything is all about you. What better way to relate to a poertic piece than to actually be in the piece, personally.

The sum of all known value and respect I add up in you whoever you are;

The President is up there in the White House for you… it is not you who are here for him,

The Secretaries act in the bureaus for you… not you here for them,

The Congress convenes every December for you,

Laws, Courts, the forming of states, the charters of cities, the going and coming of commerce and mails are all for you.