Walt Whitman and the Reconstruction Era

The great poet of the nineteenth century, Walt Whitman, once said that "democracy can never prove itself beyond cavil, until it founds and luxuriantly grows its own forms of art, poems, schools, theology, displacing all that exists, or that has been produced anywhere...". Walt Whitman did just that during his many years of life by producing poetry and essays that changed the way Americans thought. His words were the influential keystone that gave the Americans hope during the Civil War, and after its conclusion. He aided the sick, gave the common man hope, and showed dreams of democracy and a land free of turmoil and sectionalism. Throughout Whitman's life, there were many things that influenced his character and ideas, but his biggest achievement was his role in the Reconstruction Period after the Civil War, both physically and mentally. Whitman had strong views of America and her situation and many of his works represent the Civil War and its hard times. Whitman's poems express his belief in democracy with ideas of the patriotism, despite the ongoing corruption and struggle during the Reconstruction Era.

Whitman had an average childhood, being the second of nine children. He was born on May 31, 1819 at West Hills, NY to his parents, Walter and Louisa Whitman. His entire family consisted of patriots, including his siblings, who were even named after the late political heroes of the time. Whitman was born during the generation of Americans that were born in the new United States, and he grew up assuming that there was a stable existence of America (Folson & Price OL). Throughout Whitman's life he was a huge advocate of democracy, and he fully supported the equal rights of all human beings. He was a democrat early on, but became a Republican with the changing in the party's views. He was a strong supporter of the Free Soil party, those who opposed having slavery in the new states of the Union, and he greatly wanted to preserve the Union (Miller 19). There were many noteworthy events in Whitman's life, but one of the biggest defining moments was the inception of the Civil War, and its destructiveness. In much of his work, his concerns and fears can be seen, while his feelings of hope and glory also come through. Whitman played a huge part in the Civil War, by aiding soldiers with their morale and in hospitals, and his life was dedicated to those who served during the war (Hall OL). Whitman's life was full of glorious and abysmal occasions, but he always managed to persist through the hard times, and much of his work reflects his cause.

Whitman's style of writing can be clearly correlated to his childhood, and his free spiritedness and individualism was a main factor is his writing. Whitman had a very unique and controversial style of writing, especially for his time, and his views and ideas did not always match up with the social structure of America. He was a great American writer with great American views, and he brought individualism, some who believed in the right of every person to do as he or she pleases, to a new point: egotism. As well as being an individualist and an egotist, he was an eager sexualist, and was not afraid to discuss his private affairs. In many of his writings, the theme of sex is readily seen, and he was not ashamed to discuss his dreams, despite living in a time of secrecy and humbleness (Unger 320). Besides his views, he also greatly pushed America forward in his work and he was "...very much around us, telling of his sweeping plans one moment, gossiping about his ground achievement the next." (Miller 9) He was never afraid to express his accomplishments or ideals in his work, and he wrote like a strong American, which was what the United States needed at the time. Despite the influence Whitman had on America, he was not nearly as popular during his time as he is today, but his dream and legacy do live on through his work.

Throughout all of Whitman's work and style, the theme of America and Democracy can be widely seen. Whitman was a strong American, and he had strong views of America and Democracy. One of his main beliefs, of which was common to mostly every other American, was the idea of Manifest Destiny, which is the belief that it was America's obvious duty to be from sea to shining sea. Whitman's love for America also showed in his work as his "...view of America grew more conservative, so did his poetic language" (Meltzer 145). He had such an enormous love for America, and he saw it as a land of vast prairies, rivers, and new frontiers. He saw it as a land with many people of various c=cultures, that were blended together to be a single nationality. He saw America as a land full of workers and he felt that they represented a real democracy. Whitman had a "...Creole romance...with America herself" and he had "...only one lasting love affair, and that was with America-the America of his dream..." (Miller 21-22). Whitman also dealt with man's history, dividing it into three tremendous periods, the age of myths and fables in Asia, the age of feudalism in Europe, and the age of science and democracy in America. The age of democracy had become the new time, and he saw America as the stepping stone to a better future (Miller 61). Whitman had many strong views of America, and his views greatly influenced his work and his eventual effort during the Reconstruction Era.

One of the most influential events in Walt Whitman's life was the Civil War. The Civil War was a war full of tears and bloodshed, and it was a war that brought people together during a time of extreme separation. Whitman was alive and in the shadow of the Civil War, and his works during that time express his feelings and ideas during the war. In much of his work, it can be seen that Whitman, like many others, though that the war would be over in a couple of months, and he did not foresee the bloodshed that was yet to come (Folson & Price OL). Whitman has many works written solely about the Civil War and its heroes, and in one of his famous poems, "O Captain! My Captain!" he immortalizes President Lincoln, and shows him as the true freedom giver that he was. Whitman had a strong admiration for Lincoln, and to him, Lincoln was "...the savior of democracy, the greatest hero of the American Civil War" (Reef 98). Whitman admired Lincoln greatly for various reasons, but he mostly respected Lincoln's political standpoint. They both were avidly against the spread of slavery any further then it was, but were not extreme abolitionists because they feared it would split the Union.

Throughout the Civil War, Whitman managed to keep his hope with his poetry, acts, and ideals. With all of the destruction going on in the Civil War, Whitman knew he had to help in some way. He decided to go to war hospitals to work and aid the soldiers. He often volunteered in the hospitals, reading and running errands for the wounded soldiers. He would work in the hospitals frequently, and he left that when he was at the hospitals, he saw America as a nation working together, and showing greed or corruption like on the outside (Meltzer 124). While working in the hospitals, the Civil War came to life in Whitman's eyes, and he realized the harsh conditions that exited on the battlefield. Many of Whitman's poems came from his time spent in Washington D.C. as a psychological nurse that aided the suck and wounded soldiers. Many of the most famous scenes in Whitman's poems are from this experience (Price OL). He wrote "Drum Taps" from his experiences in the hospitals, and his fears and concerns show in his poems. He paints a vivid picture of the Civil War in his works, and "he brought to life the emotions and realities of the Civil War" (Price OL). Whitman had originally hoped that the Civil War would strengthen democracy, and create a more unified nation, but he learns the rough track the country must tread before unity can be reached (Meltzer 126).

After the Civil War ended in 1865, America entered a period known as the Reconstruction Era. It was a time for America to rebuild its nation after the turmoil of the Civil War, and a time to bring peace to the whole nation. The Reconstruction period was also a time of creative outpour, and Whitman was no exception. During this time period he let out eight of his most famous works: "Drum Taps" (1865), "Sequel to Drum-Taps" (1865-1866), "Leaves of Grass" (1867 edition), "Democratic Vistas" (1871), "Leaves of Grass" (1871-1872 edition), "Memoranda During the War" (1875-1876), and the "Centennial edition of Leaves of Grass and Two Rivulets" (1876). In "Democratic Vistas" and "Memorandum During the War", it is apparent that Whitman is looking forward to the new hopes of American Democracy, yet how he also shows his concerns for the Civil War. He shows his fears of the process of America uniting back together, but he expresses how he will remain confident throughout the time (Mancuso OL). This was very influential for Americans, because many of them felt that there was no hope to the country and that they were eventually doomed. Whitman's writings gave the citizens some sense of security, and made them feel as if everything was going to be alright.

The Reconstruction Period also brought a new hope to Whitman's life, where he was reassured of his faith in American democracy. Although Whitman had many hopes for the new country, he also was upset with the outcome of the war. It can bee seen in his work from the time, that he was upset about how America had transformed from farmers to industry workers, and his anxiety towards the freedom of the black race (Meltzer 126). Despite his doubts, he continues to act as a patriot in full support of democracy, and "The end of the war brought relief, optimism, and for Whitman, a belief that the revitalized union would initiate a new era of political and social justice" (Hall OL). The Reconstruction Era was a huge time for Whitman and his readers, and he gave America a different type of patriot to follow, and he gave them hope during a time when things looked in a downward spiral.

During all of these rough times the country was going through, Whitman never lost his sense of democracy and his patriotism. Democracy had been something that Whitman had been admiring ever since he was born, and he has seen it through hard times, but he never abandoned his beliefs. He had a lot of faith in democracy, which was mostly rooted in the belief that all people have good souls, not just in the belief of the Constitution (Gambino OL). In his works of the time, he generally always incorporates the ideals of democracy into his work, especially in "Democratic Vistas" and "Leaves of Grass." In "Democratic Vistas", he talks about democracy various times, and he splits it up into three main parts. The first part discusses the heroicness of those in the Civil War, and the sacrifices they made. The second part is about democracy, and how it can be uprooted through individualism. The third part talks about the American Literature of the time, and how it affects the culture (Allen OL). "Democratic Vistas" provided a new outlook on the war, and how a better situation was in the making.

In "Leaves of Grass", Whitman also discusses democracy. Many think that he was saying how tremendous America was, and while this is true. He was actually commenting on how democracy is decaying and how the natural ways are becoming no more (Meltzer 82). Also, he was trying to describe how democracy was the driving force that pushed Americans, and he was saying how democracy would be what brought us into the future (Stoutenburg & Baker 140). It is said that the Whitman in "Leaves of Grass" is the hero of American Democracy and that he was given divine characteristics that made him his own hero. Also, he can be seen trying to make his science and democracy into gods, but they really have no fundamental validity that the older myths. Besides the role he plays in the work, Whitman also uses a variety of symbols to express his democratic views. In "Leaves of Grass" the grass can represent Whitman's idea of democracy, which is the individuality in balance with the mass (Miller 159 & 115). Also, you can see symbols that represent the celebration of industry, innovation, and expansion throughout the piece of literature (Hall OL). In "Leaves of Grass", Whitman takes on his new role as the poet of democracy, and "he is his won epic hero, but he emerges from "Leaves" as clearly mythical as Homer's or Virgil's heroes. He emerges bigger then life, displaying traits of Democracy's Superman" (Miller 158). Whitman had the utmost faith in democracy, and his works represent his feelings.

The Civil War was a long, arduous war that dragged out for many years. It was very bloody and many of its soldiers died in combat. After Civil War, a glorious period of rebuilding, known as the Reconstruction Era, began, and many people chose to help out in their own unique way. Walt Whitman was no exception, and throughout the Civil War and Reconstruction Era he helped the American citizens get their life back on the track to success, with his works and pieces of literature. His essays and poems created a tremendous picture of democracy, and they gave the Americans hope that their country could be rebuilt into the strong nation that it once was. In all of his works that were completed during the time period, a common theme of patriotism is apparent in each piece. In his editions of "Leaves of Grass" and in "Democratic Vistas" he gives the reader a strong sense that America is back on the right path. Whitman had a very strong love for democracy, and he was "...a man with a great deal of love for life, for America, and for his fellow man" (Price OL). Without Whitman's influential writing styles and pieces, the American citizens might not of had any place of hope, and they would have seen destruction in their near future. Whitman gave America a new meaning for democracy, and despite his death on March 20, 1892, he still lives on in the hearts of Americans, pressing the ideas of a democracy.

Works Cited

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