When I studied literature both in high school and again in college, the main critical approach was New Criticism. This meant looking at a piece of writing as an object, free from biographical and historical information. By calling itself “New” this method hoped to get away from the biographical and historical emphasis when reading a work which had preceded it. Needless to say, while I loved literature of all kinds, I rarely had a solid understanding of the cultural, biographical and historical influences on the authors.
When I was in Philadelphia, I stumbled across an exhibit in City Hall of contemporary artists reflecting on Walt Whitman for his 200th birthday. Reawakening my interest in Whitman, this display sent me back to his writing once I got home. This time I decided to read Walt Whitman’s America: A Cultural Biography written by David S. Reynolds. While I am very familiar with Whitman’s poetry, I had a very limited sense of the milieu out of which he wrote. This book continues to fill out the background and increases my appreciation of Whitman, an author I already truly enjoyed.
And why Philadelphia for the exhibit? It turns out that for the last fifteen years of his life Whitman lived in Camden, New Jersey, a bridge away across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. Who knew? Certainly not this literature major!
Walt is not someone studied widely in Britain. I have discovered more about him through blogging, than I ever knew at school.
Best wishes, Pete.
You inspired my post for today with this comment.
Walt Whitman, as I recall, wrote LEAVES OF GRASS, which some people today might think is equivalent to LEAVES OF WEED (marijuana). One of his quotes is “The chief reason for the United States of America is to bring about the common good will of all mankind, the solidarity of the world.” Today he is no doubt turning over in his grave.
Many times for sure.
I have not heard of Whitman and shall be changing that, Elizabeth. I have noticed that the famous books in England differ from those in America and there isn’t as much cross-over as you would have expected. With reference to your other post about school set books, I forgot to mention that I read and loved The Scarlet Letter. Such amazing writing. Greg liked The Red Badge of Courage which is also an American writer.
It seems that Americans required more English writers than vice versa.
I prefer to have a context for a piece of work of whatever artistic form. I think I would have struggled with your university course! But this sounds a fascinating book, Elizabeth.
It’s great. I am helped by such details as how rapidly Brooklyn changed in a very short time. That chaos helps me understand the poems better.
I’ve never heard of him before!
Really. Try the very long, but very lush, “Leaves of Grass.”
Added to my wish list!
I too have loved his poems.