Dickinson And Whitman: Challenging traditional Gender Roles
Two of America's poets that speak of gender in controversial ways are Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. The work of these poets undoubtedly stands out from other poets because they challenged conventional gender roles of their time. For the 1800's, their poetry was democratic in both its content and its language. Walt Whitman introduced new and forbidden ideas about homosexuality in his Calamus poems, while Emily Dickinson challenged the conventional role of a wife. By doing this, they spoke the unspoken and violated the social and ethical norms of society. These poets express their frustration towards the limitations of their traditional gender role through their poetry. This is an aspect of their poetry that once was ridiculed by society, but is greatly admired today. Walt Whitman had an autonomous style to his writing and introduced things in his poetry that presented a new way of viewing male sexuality in the 1800's. Whitman's writing touches on the subject of homosexuality, and how lonely he was left feeling because of it. He shows how isolated his life style had to be in such an unaccepting society. At the time, being a homosexual was not accepted by society, which Whitman illustrates when he describes how he:
She rode to His Requirement--dropt its friend, its lover- For I knew I could not. (7-11). ....................................................... Come I am determin'd to unbare this broad beast of mine, I have long enough stifled and choked; (18-21) saw in Louisiana a live-oak growing Without any companion it grew there...
Some common words found in the essay are:
Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Song Whitman, Calamus Whitman, Whitman Whitman, Emily Dickinson's, Perspective- Gold/, Playings Life, Pearl Weed, Woman Wife--, walt whitman, role wife, emily dickinson, voice takes, playings life, whitman emily, male sexuality, action feelings, walt whitman emily, gender roles, singing true song, role woman, whitman emily dickinson, true song soul, whitman's voice takes,
Approximate Word count = 1638
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
