Everyday Canvas

Walt Whitman’s Voice Is that of a Genius with Dignity

Prompt: May 31 is Walt Whitman’s birthday. He wrote: ““I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.” And he also said: “The poet judges not as a judge judges but as the sun falling around a helpless thing.”
When it comes to writing or reading poetry or life in general what do you think about his above quotes?

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Walt Whitman’s voice is the voice for people. It is a human’s voice for the art of writing and poetry, as well as being the voice for life, every life, but mostly American life. As a poet, writer, and human being, he celebrates the human spirit and being human with empathy for all living things.

In the above quote where he says becomes the wounded person instead of asking the wounded one how he feels, we recognize the profundity of his empathy. If only we could all be like him! I am sure the events of his life, such as his volunteering as a nurse during the Civil War, helped deepen this side of him; yet, it is not just empathy he is showing. In my opinion, he is also referring to the oneness of us all, and that kind of appreciation for human life can only come from a lofty spirit.

The same sensitivity is evident in his notion of what a poet does. A true poet, too, shows empathy and sympathy to his subjects, as he covers them with his warmth like the sun and lets them flourish. Without treating his subjects harshly, Whitman’s poet provides descriptive, yet intriguing ideas pertaining to the essence of his poetry, while making it warm and desirable.

Aren’t we all so lucky, even more than a century and a half later, to be able to read him and appreciate his splendid voice, thoughts, expression, and dignity?