Introduction
Both Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are jointly considered as great poets in the American history, due to their massive contribution on matters that concerns death, life, and the supernatural being called God. Notwithstanding, both of them had a passionate understanding of nature, its surrounding elements, and the entire activities that take place in it. accordingly, the two authors significantly controlled various ways of life using an ultimate different writing styles to express their opinions, ideologies, and concepts. With different usage of styles, the two poets varied in some occasions, in terms of their targeted audience, and ways of propagating ideas. The purpose of this study is to coherently discover the differences and similarities that are evident the works of both authors.
Similarities and Differences in Language Structures and Styles
One clear difference is the manner in which the two authors have arranged their works. While Whitman uses long statements to communicate in the poem “Songs of Myself,” Emily utilizes short lines with accurate and precise information to convey her ideas and concepts. It is imperative that Whitman’s works requires less analysis, as he customarily explains most of his statements to make it easier for a reader to contemplate. However, Emily’s short sentences requires extra attention and concern to analyze and get the exact meaning and interpretation of her thoughts.
For example, Whitman states that “And I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own,” “And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own,” Whereas Emily simply states that, “The Brain is just the weight of God.” It is evidenced that both Emily and Whitman intend to pass the information that human’s life is in a close relationship, and guidance of God, but the lengths of the lines and stanzas are comparatively different.
Moreover, the language style differs on the methods of completing sentences. Again, Emily’s work tends to end in Cognito as the reader strains to complete the unfinished sentences. Emily occasionally uses hyphens at the end of her lines, to show that there is more to think of. An example includes “Or every man be blind —.” On other hand, Whitman’s lines and stanzas are in full completion with full stops. Furthermore, the language style used by Emily includes some shortened words in the lines which are not complete, “Tell all the truth but tell it sla I offered him a Crumb nt--” “nt’ is used to denote not.
In a nutshell, Whitman’s poem of “The Songs of Myself” has a universal habit of extending on and on, and so one can hardly depict the specific size of his poetic lines, stanzas, and also the verses. However, Dickinson is extremely brief as noted, as she compresses the ideas of several lines into few words that are easy to comprehend. As a matter of fact, she uses slant rhyme technique throughout her paper, to show the rhyming patterns and schemes in her work Nonetheless, the words only seem to be close but poses meanings with a wide margin. Typical examples include but not limited to “can’t” and “want.” Also, her words as depicted in the lines and stanzas have sharp endings, and significant application for asymmetric applications.
Perhaps, a keen reader and analyst of the Dickinson’s works can easily realize a shadier style of communication in most instances while making conclusions and general statements. This statement is justified by the fact that Dickinson majors her work in issues pertaining to life, death, and God, which requires a humble tone or shadier style of communication to let the reader interpret correctly. “I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -The Stillness in the Room.” In contrast, Whitman’s poem of “The Songs of Myself” can best be classified as discrete, and expressive. The poem seems joyful as it interacts closely with nature and the relationship that humans have with the surrounding environment. For his character of expressing views conspicuously, he rarely used rhyming patterns ad schemes, but instead classified his ideas correctly by referring them to specific causes.
Similarities and Differences in Themes
Conventionally, the two poets have a greater similarity in themes that they tend to address. Meanwhile, as it has been noted, different symbols, and styles are used to depict these themes, but with a coincidence of communicating a common goal, or interest. For instance, these themes include but not restricted to the ideology of self, the individual relationship, or identification by using other people, and nature, environment, of our surrounding, which could considerably be summarized into life, death and God categories. One of the key similarities that is evident in the two poems is how Dickinson and Whitman describes human’s relationship with God.
Human Relationship with God
With Whitman, he uses grass to explain his democratic self and dependence on it. This is after he realized that grass was superficially universal and non-bias to anyone. In the sixth section of “Songs of Myself,” Whitman uses grass as a metaphor to represent God. One kid asks him, “What is grass”? To answer this question, he suggests that the worth of grass cannot be measurable at an individual level, because it could beyond the level of human being’s scope. He postulates that Grass is so independent that it grows where it needs without any restrictions, or discrimination of races.
It even grows where an individual has been buried, which is an indication that its existence is not compelled to the living individuals only. Accurately, he integrates this view in his poem, by asserting that God is uniquely part and fair to everyone. “I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least, / Nor do I understand who there can be more wonderful than myself.” (“Song of Myself” 1281-1282).
Similar to Whitman, Emily uses brain as a metaphor to represent God. Interestingly, although no human has ever estimated the specific size of the sky, nor has one ever determined the size of the seas on earth, she postulates that human brain is more powerful, and wider than both of the two elements. She quotes, “the Brain—is wider than the Sky,” and also that, “the Brain is deeper than the sea.” However, he relates the size and complexity of brain to that of God. “The Brain is just the weight of God.” Based on these two texts, both Emily and Whitman refer to God as supernatural beyond any other existing element on the planet. Nevertheless, as Whitman uses grass as a metaphor make his justifications, Emily equally uses brain as a metaphor to pass the information regarding the authority and power of God.
Self-realization and Identity
Another aspect which is outstanding in the two texts is the theme of “self.” Both authors love their lives, but acknowledges the fact that other individuals around them are equally important. From the Whitman’s poem titled “The Songs of Myself” it can be derived that the poet is more concentrated with self-realization, and actualization. By singing the song of his life by himself. It further denotes that Whitman understands his life better than any external person might consider it. “Every kind for itself and its own, for me mine male and female.” The statement means that people should focus on their self-being, by realizing their potentials and making moves in chase of those dreams, without having an external influence of other people, as the actual or real definition of someone might be lost. After getting the best definition of identity, people should be rigid as it is further explained by Whitman, “I see through the broadcloth and gingham whether or not, and am around, tenacious, acquisitive, tireless, and cannot be shaken away.”
Due to a great similarity in the themes that are addressed by the two poets, it is not surprising that Emily makes a self-realization for her identity by having a vision of what she perceives to be and own. This is justified in the poem where she narrates that,
I dwell in Possibility –
A fairer House than Prose –
More numerous of Windows –
Superior – for Doors.
In this case, Emily is determined to create a brightening future of herself, where she has a luxurious house than ever before. The house could be her goal or life objectives. The existing windows denotes that there are numerous perspectives that this achievement brings in hand. Finally, superior doors could mean that Emily is welcoming people to the new luxurious house. The similarity in this context is based on the ideology that both Emily and Whitman aim at making their lives shine but an individual level. While Whitman uses the name song to indicate the life issues, Emily uses a house to indicate the life goals that she is intending to achieve. Alternatively, these themes can be understood better by defining them as desire and fulfillment. The poets utilize different structures and language styles to show their inner qualities or desires and the appropriate ways of achieving them.
In convention to this, Emily believes that to achieve the personal goals, one must strive so hard towards them, to guarantee a better future. Nevertheless, Emily is not so much concerned with the pain that one may undergo in the process of achieving their goals. Certainly, she is much appreciative to the positive future, than the difficult and challenging situations which one must undergo to reach such goals. In the poem number 372, Emily explains that,
After great pain, a formal feeling comes –
The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs –
The stiff Heart questions ‘was it He, that bore,’
And ‘Yesterday, or Centuries before’?
So, despite the pain suffered, Emily is impressed and states that a formal feeling will come at the end, and a series of ceremonies will be scheduled in celebration of the achievements. In other words, Emily believes in the spirit of hard work, consistency, and determination before even gaining her marvelous vision of a future fairer house that is better than a prose. Dickinson is not different or an exception to these claims, it is better to understand how he intends to gain the self-identity without over relying on other individuals for self-growth.
Conclusion
In summary, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson both uses poetic language structures to communicate their ideas and understanding, especially on topics that relate to life, nature, and God. The three are entangled in different sections of Dickinson and Whitman’s poems. Although the two poets seem to share a great similarity of themes than differences, a reverse is true for the specific language styles which are used by the writers to describe these themes. For instance, it is notable that Dickinson uses a shadier tone, rhyming patterns, sharp endings, short lines, and stanzas; whereas Whitman uses long lines which are expressive. Besides, his poem sounds joyful due to the consistent interaction with nature. Perhaps, this last difference is realized because Whitman personally interacts with nature, while Dickinson only acts as a spectator to nature and its components.
Finally, analyzing these two poems was a great test, because of its basic role to impart one with exemplary language skills and styles. By understanding the differences, one can easily gain new techniques of communicating different information based on their importance locations of delivery and the displayed theme. The discussion was also interesting because the poets ultimately uses what is existing to generally represent, or create a bigger picture of something else, that a majority needs to understand and contemplate in depth. An example of such scenario is when Dickinson used brain to signify the powerfulness of God over sky and Seas that other individuals might find quite superior. Whitman also uses the “Grass” to denote how fair God was, in rendering his services, and activ...
