Leaves Of Grass By Walt Whitman Essays - Literature,

Leaves Of Grass By Walt Whitman In the twentieth century, the name Walt Whitman has been synonymous with poetry. Whitman's most celebrated work, Leaves of Grass, was the only book he ever wrote, and he took a lifetime to write it. A large assortment of poems, it is one of the most widely criticized works in literature, and one of the most loved works as well. Whitman was unmarried and childless, and it has been noted that Leaves of Grass consumed him greatly; James E. Miller Jr. writes: "...he guided his poetic offspring through an uncertain, hesitant childhood, a lusty young manhood, and a serene old age...it is difficult to write the life of Whitman without writing instead of the life and times of his book...Whitman was the kind of parent who lives his life through his child." (Miller 15) The"poetic offspring" that Miller writes of is of course Leaves of Grass. Whitman poured his soul into the work, as he questioned himself and observed his demeanor through his writing. He "fathered" the tome, as after its initial publishing Whitman went on to release revision after revision as time progressed. Miller goes on to reflect on Whitman's methods, as he tells the reader of Whitman's curiosity towards life, particularly curious about his own meaning in the world in which he lived. "Like any individual of depth and complexity, Whitman was continuously curious about who he was...(he had) a lusty enthusiasm, a hearty relish for life lived at all times to its fullest intensity." (Miller 17) The life Whitman lived "to its fullest intensity" started in West Hills, Long Island, May 31, 1819. He was one of nine children to Walter and Louisa Whitman, his father a farmer and his mother a devout Quaker. Quakerism was the only religious inheritance the Perez 2 family passed on to Walt, and, as Miller notes, could also be seen later in his famous"sea-poem". "Out of the cradle endlessly rocking, Out of the mocking-bird's throat, the musical shuttle, Out of the Ninth-month midnight... Passage to more than India! Of secret of the earth and sky! Of you o waters of the sea! O winding creeks and rivers!... O day and night, passage to you!' (Whitman 180-294) ...His use of ?thee' and ?thou' in his poetry, his reference to the months by their sequential number (?ninth month' for September), and his instinctive adoption of the inner light?all of these Walt could trace back to his Quaker background." (Miller 17) This Quakerism also contributed to the style of Leaves, told with certain closeness and a certain emphasis paralleling that of a preacher. Miller comments on this style: "His was a day of evangelism and oratory. As a child he was no doubt frequently exposed to both. The passionate intimacy and pleading of many lines in Leaves of Grass could...have been used by an itinerant preacher..." (Miller 43) Aside from his Quaker traces, Leaves of Grass has been criticized as being an extension of Whitman's life. Just as Miller described the work as Whitman's child, John Kinnaird comments on the great level of importance at which Whitman held his masterpiece: "...Leaves of Grass suggests so much of the original existential Whitman that criticism must continue to recover and understand, particularly since this is the first poet who ever insisted that his book was in reality no book." (Kinnaird 24) Kinnaird reinforces the criticism of Miller Jr. as he emphasizes the autobiographical and introspective nature of Leaves. It seems that Whitman used this work as a release, and Perez 3 had a marvelous interpretation of life in general. He also had a unique estimation of poetry itself. In his introduction to Leaves of Grass he writes: "The power to destroy or remold, is freely used by him (the greatest poet) but never the power of attack. What is past is past. If he does not expose superior models and prove himself by every step he takes he is not what is wanted." (Whitman 8) The introduction from which the passage was taken is one of great length, with elaborative and expressive sections, in which Whitman further explains the muse behind his book, the "child" he conjured up at the time, as he was without any family of his own. James A. Wright comments on the introduction and his poetic brilliance: "Whitman's poetry has delicacy of music, of diction, and of form...I mean it to suggest powers of restraint, clarity, and wholeness, all of which taken together embody that deep spiritual inwardness...which I take to be the most

Death of the Salesman American Dream Research Paper Example

Death of the Salesman American Dream Research Paper Example Death of the Salesman American Dream Paper Death of the Salesman American Dream Paper Essay Topic: Death Of a Salesman American Dream Written by Arthur Miller and a classic play of American theatre, Death Of A Salesman is a great book about how Willy Loman, a travelling salesman who has been working for thirty-four years, strives to become a successful man in America. However, Willy interpreted successful as what he considers as the â€Å"American Dreambeing â€Å"well-liked† and â€Å"attractive†, which he took too seriously and in end led to his tragic death. Always clinging onto his dream, Willy has lived in his own illusions throughout his whole life. Even more unfortunate, his son Biff has been living under his shadows and ended up as failure. Having an American Dream may not be a bad motivation for life, but Willy held on to this dream as if it was everything. An example from the book is when Biff realizes that his fathers’ many mistakes, they both get into an argument, which is also the climax of the play. During the argument, Biff asked his father, â€Å"Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens? This clearly shows that Willy is deeply possessed by his dream. As the play goes further on, Willy even wanted to die to show Biff that his â€Å"attendance at the funeral† will show how popular he was. His belief of worth â€Å"being dead than alive† finally led to his tragic death, also leaving his family in a bad condition. From the above two examples, it can be shown that the American Dream has blinded Willy. Only letting him realize the disparity between the dream and reality, and p utting on pressure for the poor man to commit suicide.

The necessary use of persuation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The necessary use of persuation - Essay Example In an organization it is necessary to have persuasion; as the same is an outward appearance of power. It is the procedure of directing the public in the direction of the implementation of a thought, approach, or accomplishment by way of lucid and emblematic means. It is an analytical approach, which to a certain extent depends on petition more willingly than power. There are various ways a manager of an organization may persuade an employee of a company to work hard; motivation, efficient leadership and communication skills are some factors, which may persuade the employees in working hard within an organization. Organizational behavior is based on the presumption that people perform better when they know what is expected of them and can relate their personal goals towards the organizational goals. Accomplishment at work is not only technological knowledge but it has been seen that the same has also been reliant on the concentration of the personnel. Constructing awareness in the populace to provide their levels best towards the job and the place of work is the means to have persuasion in practice in the first place. When the workers who are being persuaded, fully apply their ability and proficiency, the organizational resources are exploited by a good number of positives ensuing in minimum consumption as well as lesser costs. Productivity augments and competence of operations is maximized to say the least. If a manager persuades his employees it would lead to higher motivation in the midst of the individuals which shows the way to better job satisfaction amongst the workers. Persuasion gives details of an assortment of monetary and non-financial inducements, opportunities for progression, industrial tranquility and compassionate ambiance in the venture. The manager in order to persuade the employees should devise a two-way system of communication for effective persuasion. Rhetoric or public speaking is the skill or to put it in a