William Wordsworth and Walt Whitman contributions to poetry
William Wordsworth and Walt Whitman are attributed to have made significant contributions to poetry. Wordsworth poses the question “What is a Poet?” in “Lyrical Ballads,” while Whitman explores its insights in the poem “Leaves of Grass.” Whitman’s approach to the question is understandable, direct, and transparent, while Wordsworth’s style is powerful because the poem has an immediate effect on his mental status.
Wordsworth explored the question with a lot of depth, and this assists readers in identifying who is a true poet quickly. Wordsworth’s ability to reflect upon the practice of poetry in general, as well as his poetry, provides crucial insights into poetry. Just like Wordsworth, Whitman uses the same approach to explore “What is a Poet?” Whitman’s approach is based on near-infinite periodic sentences that give a deeper understanding of the poet. Whitman provides an unmediated continuity between text and reader, poet and text and poet and reader. This provides the reader with crucial insights about the constitutionalism of poetry.
Wordsworth incorporates the elements of humanism when examining the qualities of a poet. For instance, he makes the best effort to heal the injured soul of the poet-speaker when his spirits are down, and the audience fails to make sense of the message he is trying to pass across. Wordsworth claims that nature is possessed, and it contributes to the miseries of humanity. As such, Wordsworth suggests that poets should draw a relationship between poetry and divine intervention (Tennyson, 2018). On the other hand, Whitman’s depiction of humanity is limited because he has a rigid cage of reason and mortality. Consequently, Whitman suggests that poets should, just like other people, experience the misery of the human world. Poets are, therefore, prone to suffering just like other people. Whitman does not incorporate elements of religion when establishing the ideals that poets should conform to in their practice (Folsom, 2016). The differences between Wordsworth and Whitman’s depiction of “What is a Poet” illustrates that aspects of personality and idealism are critical in poetry.
In conclusion, Wordsworth makes a vital association between poetry and divine intervention. On the other hand, Whitman’s approach is based on a familiar model. He does not make any reference to God, and this limits his illustration of humanity in poetry.