From the assigned reading from Walt Whitman this week, I found a new philosophy and style that he try to invent and demonstrate, as well as some connection of his work to the old British Romantics that I read before.

On one hand, Whitman in “Song of Myself” try to start a new style of poetry with its American theme. He might wanted to start this era of American poetry to complete the British era and make a history for American poetry at the same time. Furthermore, this poem looked like if Whitman wanted himself to appear like a superman who is full of glory and stories to tell for the coming generations. He tried to shine himself between the lines of the poem and create a new philosophy in it by minimizing the comparison and connection between humans and the natural world. Hence, he didn’t show that he was amazed by the natural world in this poem like other British Romantic poets like Wordsworth.

On the other hand, Whitman went back a bit to the British Romantics in his other works like “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking” and “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd”. He showed some influence in those tow poems which he got from the British Romantics by connecting his thoughts to the natural world and the theories of life. In fact, he went back to mention the idea of birth and death, and describe what was in his mind by showing the beauty and phenomenon of the natural world, especially in “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd”.

In conclusion, even though Whitman had some influence from the British Romantics, he still created a style of himself that talked in a proud tone about his own stories and make his country’s name as a label to his work.