Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are some of the early American poets who digressed from the traditional way of poetry. Their styles had a striking difference from each other poets. Both poets were influenced by their lifestyles while writing their poems. This is reflected by the themes fronted in their different poems. This paper compares Whitman’s “Song of Myself” and Emily’s “This Quiet Dust was Gentlemen and Ladies”.
“ Song of Myself” by Whitman is a lengthy poem whose main concept is the celebration of the “self”. Whitman talks about how it amazing for human beings to live and experience the wonders of nature. He marvels at the synergy and union of a human being’s physical and spiritual selves. On the other hand, Emily’s “The Quiet Dust was Gentlemen and Ladies” talks about different times with different activities. The poem seems to contrast summer and winter. During summer, there are different activities that are exciting. In stanza 1 line 3 Emily notes that in summer “…Was laughter and ability and sighing” to indicate the good times there. The last line in the poem “Then ceased like these” puts in the contrast. Winter and summer in this case can been seen to symbolize life and death.
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The works of Emily and Whitman are similar in a number of ways. The two poems talk about the interaction of human beings with their world. Both poems show that a human being exist in two worlds that are in continuum with each other. These are the physical and spiritual worlds. In Emily’s “This Quiet Dust was Gentlemen and Ladies”, the theme of mortality is evident. The poem seems to be written in a lonely time. The dust can be seen to imply the loss of great things that were there probably during summer. During winter, one can only remember these great times. One can also look at the word dust to imply death. Emily notes that dust was “gentlemen and ladies” to imply that the now dead people (dust) were vibrant, happy and energetic people. This poem therefore could be seen as a call for reflection into one’s life. It is a reminder that there will be both good and bad times as well as life and death.
The two poems differ in a number of ways. Walt Whitman’s “Song of myself” is a lengthy poem. It is a 52- part poem which talks about human existence. It is very detailed and wordy. Reading this poem one can be able to decipher the intent of the poem. It is possible because Whitman uses many words to describe each of the phenomenon. On the other hand, Emily Dickinson’s “The Quiet Dust was Gentlemen and Ladies” is a short and precise poem. The poem calls for deep introspection for one to understand the actual message being communicate therein. The word selection in this poem is distinct. Each word in this poem builds into the themes intended by Emily. Reading Emily’s poem requires a great deal of imagination. It requires an ability to connect each of the words to the larger meaning intended by the poet.
The writing styles of Dickson and Whitman have striking differences. Each of these poets is seen to use a distinct structure to express themselves. Whitman uses free verse to convey his message. “Song of Myself” is a good example. Whitman does not have a clear structure while writing this poem. The poem lacks a definite rhyme and meter. This lack of a definite rhyme makes the poem seem “disorganized”. Some stanzas have fewer lines than others. However, Whitman might have used this free verse to allow him to fully express himself. On the other hand, Emily Dickinson’s “The Quiet Dust was Gentlemen and Ladies” looks like a well-planned poem with a distinct rhyme. It is a two stanza poem with four short lines in every stanza. Each line does not have more than six words. Moreover, the poem is written in verse in contrast to Whitman’s free verse. This creates a predictable and clear pattern which a reader can easily follow. On the flipside, this style does not allow the poet to fully express herself. The use of imagery is critical here, the reason being that every word projects a certain meaning.
In conclusion, both poets are seen to deviated from traditional way of poetry. However, their poems are great and give American Poetry a new way of interpreting poetry. Both poets have their themes centred on human existence. They focus on mortality as their main theme. The two poems “Song of Myself” and “The Quiet Dust was Gentlemen and Ladies” talk about human mortality and concepts of life and death. The two poems also differ in a number of ways. Whitman uses free verse in his poem as exemplified in “Song of Myself”. There is no specific rhyme in the poem. This is contrast to Emily’s poem which is short and has a specific rhyme. The sentences are few compared to the lengthy Whitman’s “Song of Myself”.
References
Dickinson, E. (2019). This quiet Dust was Gentlemen and Ladies by Emily Dickinson . Retrieved from Poem of Quotes: https://www.poemofquotes.com/emilydickinson/thisquietdust.php
Whitman, W. (2020). Song of Myself (1892 version) . Retrieved from Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45477/song-of-myself-1892-version
