Whitman's Use Of Images example essay topic

The theme for section 19 can be easily identified as brotherhood. The images clearly depict himself as a wanderer who travels from town to town, gaining knowledge and experience. During those travels he encounters many people, slaves, thieves, officials, rulers, and he stops to greet each one of them. These examples portray the theme brotherhood, in the way that he demonstrates his trust in the common man. The theme brotherhood is also a major theme in phase 3 as Whitman starts to identify himself to the readers. Brotherhood is an important theme throughout the phase and demonstrated by the images Whitman presents in section 19.

Whitman creates a character who is generous and unbiased to anyone. He doesn't slight to any person, be it good or evil. "It is for the wicked just the same as the righteous, I make appointments with all, I will not have a single person slighted or left away". Whitman's iron will demonstrates how he cannot and will not discriminate one man from another, even to the extreme that Whitman can be evil or not.

He then uses vivid imagery to describe the people who are invited to his sessions and how their differences will not cast them away. His use of "Well I have, for the Fourth-month showers have, and the mica on the side of a rock has?" shows how important his story is. He then tells those that he will tell and reveal all his secrets. "I might not tell everybody, but I will tell you".

He unifies himself with the people that he preaches to and discloses all to the curious believer. The image of Whitman inviting the kept-woman, the sponger, the thief, and even the heavy-lipp d slave is a depiction of his equality for all people. He invites any person and doesn't look at status, race, or habits when determining who he can trust. "There shall be no difference between them and the rest". Within this passage, Whitman himself states within the poem that the story, his identification, will be told to all who is willing. Whitman was at the time a very controversial poet.

He would write many ideas that were unheard of in the world of literature at that time. One of his most controversial subjects is his use of sensuality in his works. "This is the press of a bashful hand, this the float and odor of hair, This the touch of my lips to yours, this the murmur of yearning", This is a prime example of his use of sensuality through his literary works. His use of sensuality here conveys to the reader how close and personal Whitman is with the reader. This theme also ties back to Brotherhood as it shows how close each of us is with each other. Whitman is identifying himself within this section and in order for him to do so he must reveal everything to the reader.

He attempts to make a connection, a uniform existence with everyone, whether they are good or bad, black or white. Whitman is wanting to delve deep into the reader to make that connection. Whitman's use of images throughout all of his literary compositions are breathtaking and fundamental. The key and understanding to most of his poems / works are through the understanding of them". The kept-woman, sponger, thief, are herby invited, The heavy-lipp d slave is invited, the vencrealee is invited"; he states all this to show the reader how strongly he is against racism / prejudice.

In his identification of himself, this passage shows his character to the reader. His use of the imagery of sensuality in the book also convey a state of mind in which he is trying to share his thoughts and feelings with the reader by being close and affectionate. His use of the imagery with nature, shows how important and astonishing his identification will be to the reader. Whitman's imagery is what creates most of his poems, and what made him popular. The themes of brotherhood and sensuality rampart through the lines of section 19. It is evident that many images point to what he believes, feels, and what he's striving for.

Whitman's point of view in this section is to befriend the reader, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender and to share his story with them.