Read the preface only until p. 168-169. Next, the beginning of "Song of Myself" from 175 to 177.
Comentário de citação: Comente as seguintes afirmações de Whitman, relacionando-a com as ideias expressas em pelo menos três textos estudados na disciplina. (máx. 28 linhas)
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In 1855, Walt Whitman officially broke through conventional ideologies delivering the first free verse poem that brought together so many new experiences and realities in the XIX century. Ideas of what the country was and what it could become. He meant for people to celebrate diversity and not be afraid of it. The democratic notion of commonness in the metaphor of Leaves of Grass shows the possibility of sympathy by appreciating each other’s differences. Being indirect was a way to break free from established norms and a way to express innovative artistic approaches. Whitman coined the expression for good: “To be indirect is to be new”.
Whitman’s Song of Myself resonates with Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. Ideas of equity and justice “What I assume you shall assume as if every atom belonging to me belongs to you”. This expression reveals the celebration of not only himself but also the celebration of mankind in a new era of liberalism.
In his work, Whitman put together a common ground for future democracy in terms of equality and justice and at the same time we can hear the resonating of Emerson and Thoreau’s transcendentalism as he brings humans and nature together “The sniff of green leaves and dry leaves, and the shore and dark colored sea-rocks, and of hay in the barn, The sound of belched words of my voice...” Thoreau once said that “the perspective that comes from studying Nature is more important than the narrow uses mankind puts it through”.
Through literature, Whitman empowered people to believe in themselves, something that Benjamin Franklin also portrayed with the notion of self-made man, the coming from rags to riches, and the idea of progress and personal achievement. Whitman was able to reunite and enforce political ideologies that had been attempted in the past. Whitman used his writings as a source of spiritual energy to motivate the masses and to contribute to the foundation and growth of The United States. The US is in itself, the greatest poem of all, as the nation is beautifully composed of different people, with different colors, and in a country where Presidents take off their hats to the social Citizen. In this beautiful and colorful nation, lies the individual beauty of each and every person.
Michele dos Santos
A citação apresentada faz parte do prefácio de Leaves of Grass publicado em 1855 representou o arranque revolucionário da literatura americana, foi uma viragem muito importante para a lírica moderna.
Nesta obra Walt Whitman celebra a individualidade em relação com a sociedade e a natureza e a natureza e também celebra a América e a cultura americana. A citação apresentada realça a relevância dada a cultura americana, no caso ao poeta americano afirmando que este é criativo, é novo, que ser um poeta americano é transcender, ser criativo. Esta citação pode ser relacionada com a obra Song of Myself, também de Whitman este começa o poema com “I celebrate myself” podendo relacionar-se há celebração do poeta americano em Leaves of Grass que celebra o poeta americano como uma novidade e como sendo muito criativo.
Em Wakefield, de Hawthorne, também encontramos esta ideia não do poeta americano mas do homem americano que procura ser novo, criativo que não se contenta com o regular. Também em Walden, de Thoreau, temos a perspetiva transcendentalista e vemos a ode à natureza, à criação a partir da natureza onde o autor deixa claro que todos deve viver a sua vida ao máximo ser mais e para isso usar da natureza como Whitman que promove o ser criativo, vivo, novo.
Rafaela Silva
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