Rhetorical Devices in Walt Whitman's Poetry: From Early Revolution to Late Traditionalism

Abstract

This research paper examines the rhetorical devices used in Walt Whitman's (1819-1892) early, mid and late poetry career. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the poetic revolution he started with the publication of the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass and his retreat towards a more traditional poetry a few decades later. For this purpose, I analyze the 1855 poems “A Song for Occupations” and “Great are the Myths” from Whitman´s early poetry career and the 1881 revised version of “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking” (1859) and “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd” (1865) and the 1871 revised version of “O Captain! My Captain!” (1865) from his mid-late poetry career to demonstrate that there is a perceptible change in his use of tropes and schemes related to his poetics in those periods.

Este trabajo examina los recursos retóricos usados en la carrera de poesía temprana, media y tardía de Walt Whitman (1819-1892). El objetivo de este estudio es demonstrar la revolución poética que comenzó con la publicación de la edición 1855 de Hojas de Hierba y su repliegue atrás hacia una poesía más tradicional unos pocos años después. Por esta razón, analizo los poemas de 1855 “A Song for Occupations” y “Great are the Myths” de la carrera de poesía temprana de Whitman y las versiones revisadas del 1881 de “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking” (1859) y “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd” (1865) y la version revisada de 1871 de “O Captain! My Captain!” para demostrar que hay un cambio perceptible en su uso de tropos y esquemas relacionado con su poética en estos periodos.