American Literature

This is my letter to the world, That never wrote to me, Emily Dickinson

Writing a comparison between these two poets is a hard task. Both are considered prolific poets and masters in their own turn and rights. Both of them had great contributions to literature at large and greatly enriched the treasure trove of sterling literary pieces. It is without a doubt a daunting task and a page would not suffice such a discussion. To start with, the most obvious similarity between the two writers is their subject in their poetry. Both are considered naturalists or nature poets. They write about nature and its grandeur and majesty. They both offer great insights to the mostly overlooked and unnoticed elements in nature and the message that each has to give. The differences between them are also numerous. The most glaring of them for me is their attack with the subject matter. Whitmans pieces are exploratory and grand and it tends to be larger than life in a very effervescent manner, while Dickinsons poems are highly personal, introspective and internal. Also, the persona or the I in the poems differ too. Whitmans personas are usually didactic, while Dickinsons persona uses narrative and exposition and not necessarily preachy. Again, a page would not be enough to cover a comparison of the two.

Personally though, I find myself more inclined to Dickinson. Her poems are very personal in an almost confessional way, as opposed to Whitmans sometimes very moralizing or aggrandizing personas. Dickinson touches a nerve with her voice in the poem. Perhaps this is reflective of her own reclusive and secluded life. Her loneliness and solitude seeps through the poem, making the reader feel and examine his or her own personal loneliness. For me, she is the more effective and entertaining poet.