Walt Whitman as a Modern Poet
The American Civil War proved a turning
point in her political and literary history. After that, the American nation
ushered in a new era of modern reconstruction. The American literature during
this period flourished in a fresh and free atmosphere. Some of the writers
broke away from the traditions of the past and emerged as modern writers. Walt
Whitman was one of them; he sang of the American nation and American people in
his poetry. He brought about some innovations in the poetic art and technique
which characterize him as a modern poet.
Democracy is a modernist tendency in
literature and Whitman presented himself as a strong advocate of American
democracy. He tried to encompass the whole of America, the whole gamut of his
activities. He found his subjects among all sorts and conditions; his
catalogues symbolize the equalizing process of democracy.
Whitman did not follow the poetic
conventions and traditions and techniques. The greatest contribution made by Whitman
to the growth of American poetry is his total change of existing poetic form
and his use of free verse. Since he wanted to deal with modern man with a fresh
outlook on life he realized that he required an original type of verse form.
The old types, he thought, were fit only for the old topics from myths,
religions and feudal wars and aristocracy. He wanted to write in a frank, crude
and realistic manner.
Consistent with his love for democracy,
he made use of the voice of the people, the richness and beauty of
colloquialisms and the colourfulness of the slang.
Whitman discarded the two traditional
elements of poetic style-rhyme and metre. He evolved a vital and vigorous metre
and rhyme. His rhythm is the rhythm of prose verse. He was the first American
poet to make it a subject of metrical study.
The use of images and symbols by Whitman
is also a modern element, as also his dramatic elements in poetry. The ‘I’ and
‘You’ in his poems introduce the dramatic element. But Whitman does not present
his images and pictures before his readers in any logical order. This is a also
the steam-of-consciousness device as employed by Walt Whitman.
In terms of his poetic medium too,
Whitman is modern. From the viewpoint of syntax we find him as the poet of the
phrase. Modern poets echo the syntax of Whitman.
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