W. Whitman (1819-1892)

• How would you define “free verse”?
• When did it first appear?
• Free verse is free of the demands of both rhyme and meter, but it must have rhythm which is less regular than that of conventional verse. The absence of regular meter and rhyme forces certain problems upon the writer of free verse, what are they?
• How does the free-verse writer decide when a line should end?
• What does Whitman do to gain unity in a stanza?
• What poetic devices add to the musical effect of free verse?
• What techniques does the poet use in achieving rhythm? (parallel constructions, repetitions, etc.)
• What changes appeared in Whitman’s work, his personality and way of thinking in the late 1840’s and the early 1850’s?
• When did the first edition of “Leaves of Grass” appear?
• Try to characterize Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” from the point of view of the style, language and the ideas discussed in the book.
• What was the first reaction to his book?
• What changed Walter Whitman to Walt Whitman?
• Which poets experimented with verse form before W.Whitman?
• What does Whitman’s poetry resemble?
• The influence of what literary sources is it possible to trace in his book?

“There was a child went forth”
• How does the poet describe the vegetable (animal) world of nature?
• What details does he pay special attention to? Sounds? Colours? Smells?
• What is unusual from your view point in this description?
• What was the influence of the boy’s parents on him?
• How is his father depicted? Are there any contradictions in his personality?
• The poet tries to reflect the development of the child’s character, how does he do it? How does he show the child’s curiosity? On growing up what things does he become interested in?

“I hear America singing”
• Does the poet use any conventional poetic symbols in this poem?
• What poetic devices does Whitman use to create a special hymnal rhythm of “I hear America singing”?
• On reading this poem we can say that Whitman is a democratic poet. What makes us think so?
• What is the tone of the poem?

“Cavalry crossing a ford”
• Why is it possible to say that this poem is like a realistic painting? Give your reasons and cite the example.
• Can we characterize his other poems in such way?