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/lit/ - Literature

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14104466 No.14104466 [Reply] [Original]

Why have Americans tricked themselves into thinking Walt Whitman is a greater poet than her? Is it because he is more "American"? Here you have to greatest poet between Shakespeare and Yeats and you keep going on about garrulous WW. Why?

>> No.14104471

Most Americans haven't read either. The only time many of them will have heard about Walt Whitman is from watching Breaking Bad.

>> No.14104493

>>14104466

In my experience most people prefer Dickinson, and she is obviously the superior. I agree that Shakes, Yeats, and Dickinson are the holy trinity of English language verse as well. Whitman was more brilliant as a stylist than a poet; he was amazing, but incomparable with the true masters.

>> No.14104813
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14104813

Neither of them would exist without this nigga.

>> No.14105997

They’re both great but polar opposites. The self promoting self created P.T. Barnum blowhard hyperamerican and the hermetic femcel genius crafting her tiny masterpieces in solitude. IIRC she thought his poetry was crude and vulgar...was he aware of her work? She achieved wider recognition near the end of his life but I don’t know if he was keeping up with other ooet’s work at that point.

>> No.14106048

I'm a complete newfag to poetry. How does Robert Frost compare to them?

>> No.14106066

>>14106048
Robert Frost is good, but, and here is a pro tip, here you look just have the both of them to one other and decide for yourself

>> No.14106084

>>14106066
I didn't really make myself clear. I was more talking about style. I want to know where I should start off.

>> No.14106117

>>14106048

Not OP, but Frost's talent was an exercising and physically fit citizen; Dickinson's talent was a gymnast.

Frost's inventiveness collected eventual sparks of fire and caressed and nurtured them into bonfires; Dickinson's invectivity was a forest fire.

>> No.14106142

>>14106084
I’m sorry you didn’t make yourself clear

>> No.14106195

>>14106142
What a passive aggressive post. Don't be like that, anon. Call me a faggot like a man.

>> No.14106213

>>14105997
Here's what Dickinson had to say on WW in 1862: ''You speak of Mr. Whitman -- I never read his book -- but was told that he was disgraceful.'

I don't think he was aware of her, considering she was only published in 1890.

>> No.14106370

>>14104466
Based Shakespeare Dickinson poster

Agree with the American part. Dickinson's poetry is so strangely sui generis and esoteric, doesn't ascribe to time, history, culture, country, tradition... She's truly immortal in every sense

>> No.14106454

>>14106370
>Based Shakespeare Dickinson poster

Thanks for the Based, but I am not the OP in this thread.

I am also open to suggestions for new poets with language rich in imagery. Any recommendation is welcome.

>> No.14107137

>>14104813

Are there modern writers of essays who produce works as poetic as those of Emerson, but with contemporary themes?

>> No.14107532

>>14107137
I wish there were better writers in the 21st century. I see a massive amount of uncharted territory and the faggots here still cry about "waah everything has already been explored therefore I have no life purpose and must kill myself."
I'll probably start writing myself, eventually. I'll be nowhere near as good as Emerson though.

>> No.14107579

Anyone watched Dickinson yet?

>> No.14107777

>>14107532
How do you learn to write, at the university? if so...what career?

>> No.14107833

>>14107777
lmao don't go to any writing program unless you want to be exactly like every buzzfeed/guardian op-ed writer. Just read lots of good writing and eventually figure something out yourself. All academics in the humanities are hacks, at least in the US.

>> No.14108597

>>14107833
hmm ok, if i want the "real experience" should i write 20 page essays about the author, about a phrase, a page, the book,
the epilogue ?
thanks in advance

>> No.14108627

>>14107579
Yeah, I'm halfway through it. What did you think about it? I'm finding it surprisingly comfy with a lot of simple but genuine moments. The casting is well done, Steinfeld as Dickinson is killing it, lot of charm and curiosity in her performance, so are the actors as her brother and best friend.

I think it's a nice light hearted take on one of the more intense poets in history, made me think differently of her in terms of the childlike creativity with which she also approached her work, I think we get caught up in the seriousness of it all. Nice casual watch.