The Difference between Dickinson and Whitman as Contemporary Poets

Even though they were contemporaries, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman were very different people in their lives and literary works. They both invented their own styles of poetry, inspired by Emerson. Their approaches to the subjects depicted or mentioned in their poetry, however, differed.

Walt Whitman was an outgoing person who aimed for fame even when he first published his collection of poems. His poems, which he wrote about everything from democracy to the beautiful impressions New York left on him, were expressive.

Emily Dickinson, on the other hand, had nothing to do with fame or publishing her poems. She was a reserved and rather conservative person, and her poems required extra attention from the readers to get the meaning.

In her poem "I’m Nobody! Who are you?" and "Much Madness is Divinest Sense", Dickinson mentions how society excludes those who do not follow the norms. She states that if you do not live according to the rules society sets, you are labeled as an insane person. She criticizes society for not accepting those who think differently and act wisely by not following what the majority says and does.

Whitman’s poem "Song of the Open Road," which reflects his opinions on democracy well enough, suggests that there are different people on the road of democracy and all of them are accepted. Walt Whitman creates an atmosphere and an environment that contains what he idealizes to state what Dickinson states in her own poetry, but her poetry shows a dislike towards the matter, while Whitman’s poetry creates a kind of story that depicts what he expects from life.

These two poets were very different from each other in their personalities, lifestyles, and views, which affected the way they expressed themselves and their ideas in their works and their approaches to the themes and different styles they used for their poetry.