Walt Whitman's Poems

The 19th century poet,Walt Whitman, is an important figure in American Literature.Walt Whitman wrote poems that represented events and important social issues going on in the United States of America during the late 1800’s. In his poems, “Song of Myself” and “Crossing the Brooklyn Ferry”, he talks to the future generations about society's problems, as if Whitman wanted the audience in today’s generation to learn from his own generation. Also, in his poems, Whitman uses transcendental thoughts and moving word choices to bring a sense of motivation for his readers aswell. Over time, many of Walt Whitman’s pieces of literature have influenced numerous writers and poets in the past century. For example, poets like William Carlos Williams and Hart …show more content…
In Crane’s poem he shows similarities to Whitman’s by describing the indistinguible objects of the seagulls, sails, and river. From “A Short Comment on Hart Crane’s Poem To Brooklyn Bridge” author Pu Zhao stated, “ The Bridge is a lyrical epic portraying the American experience-a new positive myth. Focusing on dynamism in Whitman's tradition, The Bridge, as a bridge connecting the American past and the present, dwelled on historical or legendary figures”. In other words, Crane was inspired by Whitman’s poem to interlink the experience of the past to the future of Brooklyn for the readers. The Brooklyn Bridge shows over the course of history and time of what has occurred on the Bridge, and what happens through the day and even goes into night time. The poem “To the Brooklyn Bridge” contributes to a huge part of what American society looks like and the modernization of it, which is what Walt Whitman has expressed many times in “Crossing the Brooklyn Ferry” and throughout multiple of his other poems. Also, author Pu Zhao wrote, “Crane is not interested principally in Whitman's social vision but in his conception of poetry as the final step in the restoration of man wholeness...the poet with intense emotion represents the absorbing shape of the bridge”. To put into perspective Crane was directed by Whitman to follow the art of poetry and how the words can influence readers. With the emotion Crane put behind his word choices for “To Brooklyn Bridge” has shown the same idea as Whitman of letting the future generation know the aspect of the ordinary of everyday life throughout a period of time. Also, using the same state and even the same city, Crane portrayed a sense of familiarity for the audience and to inflict the message was to involve an ordinary day. The influences of Walt Whitman had on Hart Crane has allowed more