Talter or Wait Whitman (May 31, 1819 nationalist poet of America. He propagates the idea of democracy, nationalism, humanity, transcendentalism and mysticism.hane de dine es
Whitman is different from English romantic poets because of his pragmatic approach. Unlike English romantic poets his ideal of democracy is not a visionary dreamn but is a practical approach. He is a spiritual democrat who saw in true democracy the possibility of universal peace, toleration and brotherhood. The subject matter of his poetry is common man and his environment. He rebelled against the conventional poetic subject such as kings and nobles which brings him very close to great romantic poet William Wordsworth, Like Wordsworth he composed poetry in the language of a common man. His subject matter is simple humble country people and their rustic and rural lfe. He used free verse, now known as blank verse in his poetry He is rightly called as the Wordsworth of America.
As a prophet of democracy, Whitman manifests in his poetry the basic ideal of democracy, the liberty o individual, fraternity and equality, He propagates the need for being free and self-rellant. If an individualis frec in true sense, he will be abie to understand the truth af universe. He through his poetry creates a sense of harmony among the people. His concept of'r connects him with the smallest as well as the greatest.
His sense of oneness reveais his democracy calling for equality and fraternity. He is interested in all kinds of people. No one is superior to another. He firmly believes in eouality of man and woman, Whitman believes that democracy must vield spiritual resuits Passage to India demonstrates the passibility of spiritual democracy. His demacratic creed is differen from Christian doctrine. Like Emerson he rejectec Christian democracy. He does not recognize the distinction between good and bad, right and wrong, superior and inferior, and low and high
Whitman is also a humanist. Nothing is nobler than humanity in his opinion. He is the mate and
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companion of all peaple who he comsiders immortal and fathomless as himself. Hils poem Song of Myselfis replete with the feeling of sympathy and comradeship. He opines that a person who does not ave a deep feeling of sympathy for his tellowemer, he walks to his oiwn funeral in his shroud. His collectior of poems Leaves of Grass is indeed a bible of democracy. He believes in the common man fo salvation of society, Itisthey who tnake the nation. He rejected religian and sugzested a new kind of religion that is humanityLecturer English
There is also a note of mysticism and transcendentalism in his poetry. He is not a pure mystic according to aniental concept. He is not a traditional mystic like al mystics, He believed in the xistence of divine spirit, immortality of human soul and in the capacity of a humar being to establish communication berween his spirit and divine spirit.
He is different from traditional and oriental mystics in a sense that he does not believe that cammunicatian with the divine spirit is possible only through denial of the senges and mortification of flesh. He sings of the body as much as of the soul, He believes that spiritua communication is possible, inideed desirable, without sacrificing flesh. His acceptance of body makes him different from other mystics, in his poem / Sing the Body Electric he sings of the human body and senses Whitman does not reject the material worid. He seek the spiritual through the material. He does not subscribe to the belief that objects ate ilusive. There is ro tendency on the part of the soul to leave this world for good. Mystical state is achieved through transfiguredsenses rather than byescaping senses On the whole it is not an exaggeration to say that Walt Whitman is true preacher of demacracy and humanity. He is a unique mystic and unique propanent of demacracy. He does not onh propagated the cause of democracy but takes practical steps as well He worked as a male nurse and personally took part during civil war He is indeed a poetic spokesman of democracy
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