Dylan thomas
Walt Whitman and Freedom personal, specific image that might change the audience’s mind about the endurance of the human body.
b. Citation/textual evidence from another poem
c. Explain the significance of the quote. Why does it matter? What effect or impact
does it have on the audience? What is the poet teaching his/her reader?
d. Compare and contrast? Why is this important?
4. In addition, his style of free verse poetry does not rely on a fixed meter or rhyme
scheme. Therefore, the audience isn’t restrained by a specific word choice or syllables in
each line. For example, in every section of the poem, the lines vary anywhere from a few
words to as many as 15 words. This may seem disorganized and chaotic to some readers
who are used to a sonnet or limerick’s phrasing. However, the free verse style sets one
free from those strict rules and allows a better focus on imagery and the overall message.
Whereas in the traditional poems, one might have to cut back on word choice or find
synonyms to accommodate meter or rhyme, Whitman’s free verse liberates us to say what
is most meaningful. And liberation is exactly what Whitman fought for in his era:
abolition, freedom, humanity, the love humans have for one another.
5. In conclusion, Walt Whitman’s poetry is most certainly a diversion from tradition. Thus,
my thesis exists to show how poetry, as an art form, can influence public opinion about
social matters. When the majority of Americans clung to traditions or refused to accept a
progressive philosophy about emancipation, his poetry affected attitudes enough to
contribute to major changes. In short, words have power.
