Whitman vs. Dickenson
Whitman vs. Dickenson
Dillon MeldrimMrs. Summers
3rd period American Lit
5/1/12
Whitman and Dickenson compare and contrast
It seems like a lot of people think that Walt Whitman and Emily Dickenson are some of
the best poets of all time. Emily Dickenson was born in 1830 , and Walt Whitman was
On 1819. These were the two greatest poets of the civil war time period. I will be
Comparing two of there best known and greatest poems.
Both of them are very short, that is one of the biggest things I like about them
Is that you don’t get so bored reading them and there not a “book” long. A lot of
People don’t like reading a poem for a long time. That is also just my opinion
The poem “I hear America sing” is only 16 lines , that is very short . Whitman
Uses great personification in this poem. “If you were coming in the fall” is only 20 lines,
That is a little big longer but sill pretty short. Dickenson uses great growing suspense in
This poem. “If only centuries delayed, id count them on my own hand” shows great uses
of building suspense because of how long she has been waiting. But most importantly
Both poems uses a great calm flow of words. Whitman shows he’s proud of America
He says in the poem “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear” in a calm tone
It is good because he is not yelling about his love of America. Emily Dickenson is very
Calm as she is waiting for something, “but now, all ignorant of the length , of time
Uncertain wing, it goads me, like the goblin bee, that will not state its sting” she
Shows no anger or signs of anger. Only a disappointing and sad mood as she is loosing
Hope. The Difference is that Whitman uses Personification to describe America ,
And Emily Dickenson uses metaphors. “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear”
This line is saying America is singing, American cant literally sing, that’s how it’s a
Metaphor. “it goads me, like the goblin bee”...
