American Literature

   Reading Journals for Walt Whitman 

 
Pick the question that you feel that you can answer the most completely.
There is no one question that is "better" than the other one

  1. Whitman's poetry was praised by Emerson from the very beginning. The public at large either ignored it or found it "vulgar and ugly." Explain why Emerson and other transcendentalists would be intrigued and interested in Whitman's poetry when other readers were not.   answer this journal 
      
  2. Fanny Fern was an early advocate of Whitman’s poetry. Explain why she would support Whitman’s poetry when so many people hated it.  answer this journal

  3.  In a similar question to what was asked about Benjamin Franklin: Is Whitman an egotist? Give examples and support your answer either way. answer this journal

  4. Whitman broke the rules of poetry in creating an artistic vision as new as the country that it reflected. Explain what rules of traditional poetry that you can tell that Whitman is breaking, and how it "opens up" the poetry.  answer this journal

  5. The previous journal question indicates that Whitman's poetry reflects America. How, exactly? Explain how and why Whitman strikes so many people as being especially American in his poetry.   answer this journal