Witty Whitman

(If you're watching Breaking Bad right now, don't watch the clip above)

On page 19 of Walt Whitman's notebook, amid notes including addresses and information about people he had met, Whitman writes, "small in theme yet has it the sweep of the universe." Though no explanation accompanies the statement, we (or maybe just me...those #englishteachertingles) might interpret it as the desire to explore universal themes, or maybe just the universe (!) through our own experiences. It's almost as if Whitman is challenging us to do so, challenging us to notice the seemingly mundane (like you do when looking at page 19). In "A Noiseless, Patient Spider" Whitman, while observing a spider weaving a web. becomes aware of his "soul … Ceaselessly musing, venturing, … Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere."

Sometime during the late fall or winter of 1860-61, Walt Whitman began an imaginary conversation with Abraham Lincoln that would continue for decades to come, inspiring several of the most famous poems in American literature. The poet began his dialogue with the president-elect “as in a dream.” Most of the notebook pages reproduced here have never before been published. — ADAM GOODHEART

Whitman's notebooks were characteristic of his writing process- using the notebooks as a source of the personal experience and universal themes explored in his poems. We'll consider this question during our study of Leaves of Grass: How does Whitman's poetry reflect his attempt to combine universal themes with the individual experiences and feelings? 

Before you start reading Whitman's poetry, spend some time reading his notebooks. The task for Blog #14 is below (the response to each step should be at least a paragraph...but I challenge you to explore even further than that): 

From The New York Times- “Disunion: Inside Walt Whitman’s Notebook”

Complete the following for Blog #14 (each should be at least a paragraph):

STEP 1) Go to https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/documents/walt-whitman-and-abraham-lincoln. Click on the "Document" tab. Scroll through Whitman’s notebook and write down anything you notice- can you make out any words? Images? What might be significant? What is revealed about Whitman through his inner thoughts?

STEP 2) Now click on the "Notes" tab . Click on each yellow tag (or click “next”) to see what Whitman actually wrote and why he wrote it. Look back at your original observations and add to them. Again, consider what is significant and what is revealed about Whitman.