Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are two of the most renowned American poets of all time. Though they were contemporaries, their poetry differed greatly. Emily Dickinson is known for her dark, mysterious poems, while Walt Whitman is known for his more optimistic and free-spirited verse. In this comparison, we will explore the differences between their poetry styles as well as their philosophies on life.
Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1830. She was a recluse who rarely left her home and had very few friends. Dickinson’s poetry is filled with dark images and intense emotion. She often wrote about death and the afterlife, and her poems are considered some of the most complex in the English language. Walt Whitman was born in Long Island, New York in 1819. He was a traveling salesman and journalist before becoming a poet. Whitman is best known for his poetry collection “Leaves of Grass,” which celebrates life and nature in a very optimistic way.
One of the biggest differences between Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman is their approach to poetry. Dickinson was a very private person, and her poems are intimate and personal. Whitman, on the other hand, was very open and expressive in his writing. His poems often celebrate the human experience and explore the relationship between people and nature.
Another difference between Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman is their attitude towards life. Dickinson was a pessimist who saw life as being full of pain and suffering. Whitman, on the other hand, was an optimist who saw the good in people and nature. He believed that life is a journey to be experienced and enjoyed.
After obtaining five years of training, Walt Whitman spent four years studying the printing trade; after receiving schooling, Emily Dickinson returned home to be with her family, but she never really had a job. Walt Whitman spent the majority of his time observing individuals and New York City. Dickinson rarely went out of the house and didn’t get along with many people other than her family. In this essay, I’ll compare Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. Although they both lived during the same era, Emily’s life is very distinct from that of Walt Whitman’s.
Emily Dickinson was a recluse who spent her time writing; Walt Whitman was a traveler and observer. Emily Dickinson wrote about her innermost thoughts and emotions; Walt Whitman wrote about the world around him. Emily Dickinson is considered to be one of America’s greatest poets; Walt Whitman is considered to be America’s most important poet. Emily Dickinson used strict poetic form in her poems, while Walt Whitman did not use any specific poetic form.
Although Walt Whitman published his poetry rationally during his lifetime, only seven of Emily Dickinson’s poems were ever published. Her work wasn’t published until after her death. Both Whitman and Dickinson were groundbreaking poets because of the new concepts they introduced in their work.
Although the goal of most poems is to provide consolation or information, a few poets sought to reach an audience. Walt Whitman was one such poet; he wrote for an audience about several major world events. The way each poet structured his or her work is also different. Because Whitman avoided rhyme, his verse differs considerably from that of Dickinson.
Emily Dickinson is considered to be a recluse, while Walt Whitman is considered more of a public figure. Emily Dickinson focuses on personal subjects such as death, love, and nature, while Walt Whitman writes about subjects such as the Civil War and democracy. Emily Dickinson did not allow her poetry to be published during her lifetime because she was afraid of how people would react to it. Walt Whitman was not afraid to let people see his work and he even made sure that his work was published during his lifetime.
Although Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are both considered to be great American poets, their poetry is very different from each other. Emily Dickinson is known for her dark and mysterious poetry, while Walt Whitman is known for his more patriotic and uplifting poetry. Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are both considered to be some of the most important American poets, but they have different styles and subjects in their poetry.
This is one of the ways in which these writers’ lives differ. The primary individuals that influenced Emily Dickinson were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emily Bronte. Elias Hicks, James Macpherson, and William Shakespeare all had a significant impact on Walt Whitman’s life. Whitman read many book reviews by numerous people; as a result, he realized that Emerson was highly influential. Whitman was also influenced by the Bible, his strolls in New York City, Tom Paine, and a deep love for music.
Emily Dickinson wrote 1,775 poems in her lifetime while Walt Whitman wrote around 12,000 poems. Emily Dickinson only left behind 712 poems while Walt Whitman published many versions of his poetry. Emily Dickinson was very private and hardly ever left her home while Walt Whitman was very social and loved to talk to people. Emily Dickinson never married and had no children while Walt Whitman married twice and had four children.
Emily Dickinson is considered a “Dickinsonian” poet because she shared the same style of writing as Emily Dickinson. Emily Dickinson’s work is usually about death, love, religion, and nature. Walt Whitman’s work is about democracy, nature, the human body and sexuality. In Emily Dickinson’s time, women were not usually published or recognized as poets while Walt Whitman was one of the first poets to be published in a magazine. Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman’s poetry is very different but they are both considered some of the best American poets.
Whitman’s career as a poet began when he was in his early twenties, and it continued until his death. He said he had been “just simmering” before Emerson inspired him to “boil,” but the ideas of Emerson brought him to a “boil.” Dickinson wasn’t addressing anyone in particular through her poetry, but Whitman addressed the public of the United States generally through his writings. Whitman was eager to take on the position of poet that Emerson had defined in “The Poet.” Whitman liked having his picture taken, and there are numerous photographs of him throughout existence.
Emily Dickinson did not like to have her picture taken, and there are few pictures of her. Emily Dickinson was born into a wealthy family. Walt Whitman’s father was a carpenter, and he had to work hard for everything he got. Emily Dickinson attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now Mount Holyoke College), but Walt Whitman never finished high school.