Question

2. Now that you have explored the general Romantic traits of Whitman’s and Dickinson’s poems and considered their styles, focus on a subject about which both poets had something to say: death. For each poet, answer these questions: What does the poet suggest death is—or isn’t? What are the realities of death, and how can understanding these realities help readers when they must deal with death? Use the poems, as always, to support your response.

Answer 1

Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman may have differences in their poetry writing styles; points of view and structure. A good example of it, it’s how Dickenson tends to write longer pieces related to his own life experience, While Whitman contextualized his poetry to his historical context. Nevertheless and undoubtedly both authors share the same recurrence on talking about death in their poems. Each author relates death and how it's related to human beings. For instance, both wrote poems based on the civil war. While Dickenson analyzed death from a more religious point of view, seeing the transcendence of life and good behavior, Whitman relates it to a more human-centered view –e.g. the mother’s poem- where he captivates with seeing the beauty even in the most painful situations.  In brief, both apply this Transcendentalism and influence American literature on appreciating life and human beings.