Since I was much younger, I was always fond of writing and self expression. But I never knew how sad self expression could be until I read Poe and Dickinson! This is why I’m glad we read Whitman, because he seems to be a much more non self-loathing writer. In comparing Whitman’s “Song of Myself” to Dickenson’s “I’m Nobody! Who are you?,” I found that although Dickenson seems to be very in touch with nature, Whitman is definitely in touch with people and self. Emily Dickenson’s poem “I’m Nobody! Who are you?,” I can honestly see and feel what she is talking about. This poem is relating to nature as though it is human society, and the hierarchy of it all. As she expresses in the line, “How dreary-to be-Somebody! How public-like a frog…,” I believe that she is looking down on society and wants no part of it. She thinks that it is a miserable experience and would much rather stay confined to her room. I actually think of Thoreau’s idea of non-conformity. Yet, I also see that she is completely out of touch with people and the way life is supposed to be experienced. As opposed to Whitman’s stanza three of “Song of Myself,” he seems to be in touch with self and people. Whitman celebrates self and enjoys nature in regards to self and others. In lines one through seven of the stanza, I believe that this is on time that he connects people to himself through nature. In doing so, this shows that he knows that self is developed through nature and we should appreciate it. I love the line that says,”...hoping to cease not till death,” to me this refers to the idea of living live to the fullest, regardless of the trials one may experience in doing so. I can relate to both Whitman and Dickenson and appreciate their work. But because I’m not as anti-social as Dickenson, Whitman’s poem sticks with me. I’m able to have a better understanding of what he is talking about. I just wish Dickenson would have gotten out more, maybe then she would have a wider range of experiences to write about.
