How the Years Turn

The differences between the 1855 and the 1860 version of Leaves of Grass was surprising. Amazing what can happen in five years, yeah?

The main difference I noticed was also the most obvious: The difference in the physical structure of the poem. For whatever reason, five years later having a poem almost completely left-justified wasn't cool any more, so the poem appears more staggered. The lines themselves are different, too, with the lines beginning and ending on different words than the 1855 version. It makes the lines appear shorter, the column narrower. This might be a personal thing, but I like it better that way. First of all, I find it more visually pleasing to see a bit of movement in the words themselves. Secondly, I think there's a psychological thing with the narrower column. I think it almost makes the poem appear less daunting, as opposed to a much more full page of words. It also makes it easier for your eyes to jump from line to line, so it reads a bit smoother.

I can't help but wonder what the motivation was for that decision. Either way, quite interesting....

Specimen Days III: Locusts and Katydids

I very much enjoyed this particular excerpt. In it, Whitman describes the sounds (music) made by locusts and katydids. I mostly liked it because he paints such a beautiful picture of locusts and the sounds they make. Locusts are generally associated with very negative things, plagues, insects, and are usually viewed as another type of vermin. I love the way Whitman is able to look past the general stigma of these creature, and look at them with fresh eyes, and in doing so, forces me to do the same. What can I say? I'm a sucker for "ugly" things with pretty words.

Tweet-a-Week III: Oneida Community

Based in Oneida, New York, the Oneida Community was a religious sect focused on the practices of John Humphrey Noyes. Noyes believed in "Perfectionism", meaning once you're a Christian, you're saved from all your sins forever. The Community was most well known for it's polygamous nature. Declaring "complex marriage", it was actually a rule that every man was considered married to every woman, and vise versa.

Whitman, and Leaves of Grass, does have many sexual themes associated with it. As such, many parallels could be drawn between Whitman and the Oneida Community due to the similar nature of their "free love". There is also a parallel between the lack of boundaries between people. The "every man married to every woman, and every woman married to every man" thing, kind of reminds me of Whitman's constant "I am you and you are me" declarations made in Song of Myself. I can see how Whitman would find inspiration from this unorthodox group of people.

Speaking of Whitman...

Whitman's Peers

Writers, while each having their own distinct voice and style, can still learn a lot from each other. It's why creative writing classes bother teaching other writers at all. As such, many connections can be made between authors. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Village Blacksmith, has a similar feel of independence to Whitman, however there are also notable differences. Longfellow does not convey the same connection to nature as Whitman does, nor the value of loafing, instead displaying a hard and studious worker. Also, the structure of the poem differs, with Longfellow having a steady ababcdcd pattern, while Whitman uses freeverse.

Anne C. Lynch's An Imitaion also follows a rigid structure (this time aabb ccdd) that differs from Whitman, but she does find more of an adventure in nature, describing her journey up a mountain. John Greenleaf Whitter's The Hunters of Men follows the same structure as Lynch, but focuses more on people than setting. His poem reminds me of Whitman because it depicts conflict between people, and how they are hunting their fellow man. This could relate to Whitman's feelings during the build up and eventual start of the Civil War.

Specimen Days II: To the Spring and Brook

This was a very beautifully simple excerpt. Whitman describes the sounds of a small brook. When writing, it is easy to forget certain senses. It is easy to describe surroundings, imagery being one of those staples you are taught for any form of creative writing. It is easy to forget that sound can also be conveyed, even through written word. Whitman describes the music of nature in a way that makes you really hear it. He also ties it in with lovely metaphor, commenting on how he, like the brook, will "express what I have gather'd in my days and progress". And that is exactly what "A Song of Myself" is. It is the collection of Whitman's experiences conveyed through poetry. I can see why Whitman connected with nature so much.

Tweet-a-Week II: Barnum's American Museum

Unlike what typically comes to mind when thinking of a museum, Barnum's was a bit more on the eccentric side. Located on Broadway in New York, the museum housed various human oddities such as a 25-inch tall dwarf, a fiji mermaid, siamese twins, etc.

I can see the appeal, especially to any kind of poet. One of the goals of creative writing is to force the audience to look at things in a new or unusual way; to change their way of thinking, if only temporarily. This museum seems like a good physical example of that, by showing something we are obviously very familiar with (humans) and displaying the ways in which they vary from the norm.

Much inspiration could be drawn from a place like that. Wish I could see it...