American Poets

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses two distinguished, but distinctive American poets - Phillis Wheatley and Walt Whitman. The paper compares and contrasts both of these poets respective works. It describes the various biographical factors that influenced their works, especially in terms of form, style, tone and content. It shows how they both write from different sources of personal inspiration, life experience and personal and artistic viewpoint.

From the Paper:

" Whitman's poem "I Hear America Singing", on the other hand, is a straightforward celebration of America's diversity, or its "varied carols." Here, Whitman mentions American "singers" from all walks of life, each singing his or her varied songs, yet making harmony with the rest, "Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs." The singers in Whitman's poem may be mechanics; carpenters; shoemakers; mothers; young girls; or others, but each sings "what belongs to him or her and to none else", separately yet in harmony. This poem is an ode to all common working Americans from all walks of life, and a celebration of the diverse individuals, skills, interests, and jobs that comprise America. As Whitman further suggests, there for songs for day, songs for night, and songs for all times in between, yet each American has a distinctive and important song to sing."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Abcarian, Richard and Marvin Klotz. "Phyllis[sic] Wheatley." In Literature: The Human Experience, 9th ed. New York: Bedford, 2006: 1606.
• "American Transcendentalism 2." Adventures in Philosophy. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from: <http://radicalacademy.com/amphilosophy4a.htm>.
• Gates, H. The Trials of Phillis Wheatley: America's First Black Poet and Her Encounters with the Founding Fathers. New York: Basic Civitas, 2003. 10- 16.
• "Phillis Wheatley." Wikipedia. December 1, 2006. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillis_Wheatley.html>."
• Price, Angel. "Whitman's Drum Taps and Washington's Civil War Hospitals." Retrieved December 6, 2006, 2006, from:<http://x roads.virg inia.edu/~CAP/ hospital/whitmam.htm>.

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