Walt Whitman

Although many of Walt Whitman’s poems involved fantasy and dreams, almost every one of them had a realistic moral to be learned. In Whitman’s “To a Stranger”, he ponders upon a person who he recognizes. As common as this person is to him, the protagonist is unable to make out the stranger. He comments, “I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you” (Whitman). He is unable to remember the person, let alone their gender because he continues to use the pronouns ‘his’ and ‘her’. He is unable to find the reasoning behind his sudden memory, but in order to ensure that it does not happen again, Whitman says, “I am to see to it that I do not lose you” (Whitman).

Before pursuing his poetry career, Walt Whitman made a livelihood as a journalist. A major code of ethics rule for a journalist is that one must stay unbiased when reporting. Whitman had very outspoken, personal feelings on some of the topics he covered which made it hard for readers to view him as a professional. One critic said, “Mostly he disagreed with owners over political issues, and it was rarely clear whether he quit or was fired” (Oliver). Whitman worked at over 28 newspapers in his career due to the problems that arose from his writing style.

It is by no means wrong for man to have his opinions, but it was not the best reason for one with such views to work as a journalist. It was definitely appropriate for Whitman to find himself through poetry instead. His passion for political issues was similar to that of Henry David Thoreau, a man whose actions against government policies put him in jail. Both men were able to share their perspectives on political struggles and get the attention of others. They’re words were considered by readers. Whether taking away a lesson or learning a new message, readers were always in for some sort of advice when reading a piece from Walt Whitman.

Oliver, Charles M. "Whitman, Walt." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Whitman, Walt. "To a Stranger." Poetry Archive. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.