Whitman homework

Next class, I promise to be less roundabout in my approach to the subject. I don't usually teach about Whitman and Dickinson back to back (as I plan to do), so I approached Whitman somewhat differently than I have in the past because I wanted to find a way to connect the poets. Both (as you'll see) are unique voices in American writing.

The assignment for Friday is:

Write two poems of about 10 lines each. (A little longer is fine, but not shorter.) One poem should (as in Whitman's "I Sit and Look Out") take human suffering as its subject; the other (like "Miracles") should look for what is wonderful about everyday life. Follow Whitman's style: No rhyme; complete thoughts in a line (which may run very long); more direct description than "poetic" description; no rhythm. Though some Whitman poems are more formall poetic (we'll look at one), most of the time, he favors this kind of casual, colloquial style.

Each poem should begin by stating its main idea, move on to a list, and have some kind of concluding line. Don't simply copy Whitman's words. Now, go look at the world, as old Walt would want.