Abstract
This paper argues that Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" represents a distillation of the central theme of American literature, which is the projection of "manifest destiny". The latter is explained to be the idea that the American nation is destined to establish democracy throughout the world, and that this destiny is somehow a divinely conceived one. The paper begins with a short overview of American literature since the revolutionary period and then tries to present the case that Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" represents a culmination of the trend described above. The paper also shows how Whitman is deliberately trying to create a culture of democracy that does not refer to the political institutions, and that he wants his book to be the critical stimulus towards the development of such a culture. Finally, the paper considers the significance of "Leaves of Grass" in the scheme of history as a whole and explains that Whitman's scope is global, and that his theme is humanity itself.

From the Paper
"We now come to relate how Leaves of Grass comes to fit into the scheme of American literature as a whole. Published in 1951, Melville's novel was severely ignored at the time, and it wasn't until the mid-20th century that its significance was properly discovered. However the appearance of The Scarlet Letter in 1850 and Moby Dick in 1851 clearly points to the emergence of a definitive American epic. Despite the profundity and scope of these two novels, they were not seen as epics because they were committed in prose. The traditional vehicle of the epic is poetry. According to Sir Philip Sidney, only poetry is able to fill "the mind with desire to be worthy, and inform with counsel how to be worthy," (119) these being the key characteristics of the epic. Also, according to Bakhtin, the epic must find its roots in a national tradition (17). Georg Lukacs adds that the epic must give form to the totality of life (92). "

Tags:democracy, freedom, America

Abstract
This paper explores the themes of the adult/child relationship, friendship and politics in Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass", along with several sub-themes and related minor themes, against the backdrop of Whitman's humility. Textual analysis is married with examinations of Whitman's own history through biographies and accounts, to develop a clearer picture of the man, the poet, the experimenter and the purveyor of his own ideas and beliefs in adult/child relationships, friendship and politics.

Introduction
Adult/Child Relationships
Friendship
Political Views
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Walt Whitman was not a shy man. After he released the original edition of "Leaves of Grass" in 1855, Whitman was disappointed by slow sales. The verses did not seem marketable in and of themselves, and Whitman had handicapped his own success by choosing to print his long lines of poetry on larger-than-average paper: 8 inches by 11. (Harness, 2004) He had enjoyed some modest success with his 1840s moralistic novel, "Franklin Evans," so Whitman expected large returns and brilliant critical acclaim for "Leaves of Grass.""

Tags:poetry, children, self-learner, self-sufficiency, absorb, writer, virtues, sexuality, poet

Abstract
Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" represents a poetic perspective of the cultural changes that were taking place in America at the end of the 19th century. Whitman's collection of poems are more than poetry. They can be read as a cultural biography, a celebration of one of the first publications of free verse poetry, and the insights of an openly passionate man who lived nowhere, but everywhere, in the shifting culture of America.

Abstract
The paper explains that by the middle of the eighteenth century, the United States of America was well on its way to becoming its own nation. It had been independent for some time had begun to show innovation and entrepreneurship and had even fought multiple wars and conflicts and looked to expansion and even imperial holdings. Yet, the paper shows how despite its already rich history, despite even having the trappings of a traditional American folklore from the likes of Washington Irving, American seemed to still lack a classical and poetic tradition.

From the Paper
"One poet, Walt Whitman, decided to set about remedying this problem, filling this void. With his groundbreaking poetical collection, "Leaves of Grass," Whitman not only strived to make his own name as a truly American poet, but also strived to create an actual American poetry, one which catalogued this relatively new world."

Tags:whitman, leaves, grass

Abstract
The writer of this paper discusses and analyzes Whitman's intense passion for wilderness and the outdoors. These two poems, while different, give the reader great insight into the character and soul of the poet and goes on to explain why Whitman remains one of the biggest influences in literature today. This paper also examines the language used in both poems which clearly reveal Whitman's sentiments about nature and companionship.

From the Paper
"These two poems, while very different, give the reader tremendous insight into he character and soul of Whitman. In "Close of the Day," we see Whitman's appreciation for nature and need for companionship. In "Doubt of Appearances," we see Whitman acknowledging the uncertainty of our world, and the limit of our knowledge. But Whitman does not let this void of answers keep him from happiness, instead taking comfort in the beauty of friends and lovers. Whitman does not merely comment on problems of the world, but also takes us into the way he deals with them."

Tags:literature, poetry, nature, companionship

Abstract
The paper examines the poem "Leaves of Grass: Song of Myself," by Walt Whitman, and the novels "Moby Dick," by Herman Melville, and "The Scarlet Letter," by Nathaniel Hawthorne to introduce, discuss, and compare the topic of social control of feeling as a powerful theme in the antebellum era. The paper shows that it is clear that each of these authors grappled with the dictates of society when they were writing, using a distinctive voice and technique to show their dislike of the lack of feeling and emotion that was "acceptable" to society at the time.

From the Paper
"Hawthorne is not approving of adultery in this novel, he is condemning the practice of branding someone for life because of a past sin, and not allowing them to pay for their mistake in their own way, and continue with their lives. He is condemning society, who has no right to judge, when they have not confessed their own sins, which might be even worse. Again, it is partly a story about good and evil, and like "Moby Dick," the roles are somewhat reversed. Hester Prynne is an adulteress, but it is clear from the book that she is not a bad woman, and does not lead a bad life. She raises her child of the union, Pearl, with love and affection. "

Tags:Civil, War, whale, Captain, Ahab, Ishmael, Hester, Prynne

Abstract
The paper explains Walt Whitman's real connection to the Civil War; he not only witnessed the ravages of war, he saw what war did to humanity. The paper therefore shows how "Leaves of Grass" is more than a collection of poems; it is a collection of human experiences. The paper focuses on the poem "Song of Myself" and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd." The paper concludes that Walt Whitman is an exceptional poet because he captures the essence of his life in a personal way.

From the Paper
"Walt Whitman is every man's poet because he felt a deep connection to his fellow man. Part of this experience includes Whitman's real connection to the Civil War. Whitman not only witnessed the ravages of war, he saw what war did to humanity. Whitman had tasted success before the war but it was the war itself that drew Whitman closer to the collective soul of every man in the universe. The poet's eyes saw what terrible events led up to the war and they saw the suffering of each and every soul. The poems "Song of Myself," "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," and "So Long!" allow us to see how the art does indeed imitate life. The war was not something that Whitman saw from a distance - it was something he touched with his hands and felt with his heart and, as a result, related with his pen."

Tags:experiences, life, death

Abstract
Provides initial reviews of Whitman's free verse poem, a biography of Whitman, and examples of sexuality and sensuality in the poem. Examines Whitman's conception of sexuality as a physical declaration of life.

From the Paper
"n 1855, when Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass was first published, the only good reviews written of the book were by the author himself, anonymously, although Emerson did offer some..."

From the Paper
"Walt Whitman, in "Leaves of Grass", offers a celebration of life, death, and everything in between. Whitman writes almost literally about everything under the sun, although his primary subjects are humanity and nature. His poems are affirmations of the goodness and abundance of life on every level---physical, emotional, spiritual, sexual.

The style Whitman uses is almost Biblical in its rhythms and stateliness, but the poet does not mean to put himself above the reader in any way. Instead, he argues that all human beings are brothers and sisters together in the adventure of life, none superior to any other. His poems are idealistic and religious in the sense that he approves and praises everything in life and in the world, but especially the human being, spiritual and physical: "I am the poet of the body,/ And I am the poet of the..."

Abstract
This paper studies the poem "I Sing the Body Electric" by Walt Whitman, the American poet who revolutionized English language poetry. The poem was one of twelve in the first edition of "Leaves of Grass", published in 1855. In the poem, Whitman asserts that the body and the soul are one in the same. This paper analyzes Whitman's themes of sexuality, love, spirituality and democracy, which he uses to support his argument. The paper quotes liberally from the poem. The paper concludes with the author lauding Whitman for his refusal to compartmentalize his ideas.

From the Paper
"Whitman's love for the wondrous qualities of the human body is obvious with the very first line: "I SING the Body electric" (Whitman, 1). It praises the body by singing of its vibrancy. The body is exciting, thrilling and through it, one has a quintessential life experience. It is in the first stanza that Whitman presents his argument. He writes, "And if the body does not do as much as the Soul? /And if the body were not the Soul, what is the Soul?" (Whitman, 1). American Christian churches taught and do still teach the idea that the human body is separate from the human soul. In essence, they are two different entities."

Tags:leaves, of, grass, soul, sexuality, spirituality, stanza