Talk:Walt Whitman

Opinions and facts need to be kept separate

Whitman lived in a specific political time and was outspoken about much of the politics in his journalism and letters. Opinions regarding his attitudes toward different races and sex should be kept separate and labeled as opinions since to read Whitman literally he felt everyone was equal in each regard. Working in Washington D.C. first with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and then with the Attorney General meant that Whitman was aware of much of the political climate of his times and that he had a unique perspective on the Civil War as he first watched and then assisted with the tremendous amount of returning soldiers wounded and dying who lined the National Mall in tents. Whitman's main duty was to help the soldiers write letters home and to assist with simple medical procedures like changing bandages; however, his interaction with these soldiers changed his poetry and his outlook considerably. His letters show a distinctly different voice developing as he worked with the soldiers more and grew into the poet we know today. After his first stroke left him unable to continue his duties he still wrote about the experiences and attempted to make sense of what he experienced.

Suggesting that Whitman had racist overtones or explicit writings on his own personal sexuality is hard to prove. There are passages which explain certain situations he encountered but with a more journalistic writing than an extant statement on race relations or sex. It is difficult to separate any artist from the world of experiences they had and we should not attempt to do that by using opinions and interpretations of Whitman's work when simply explaining his work, life and influence. At the very least opinions and interpretations should be marked as such in any listing. — Preceding unsigned comment added by JulesHef (talk • contribs) 02:28, 21 March 2019 (UTC)

Internal link to Mary Berenson

The article mentions "Mary Smith Whitall Costelloe"; this ought actually to be "Mary Whitall Smith Costelloe", she being born "Mary Whitall Smith", daughter of Logan Pearsall Smith and Hannah Whitall Smith (as her own article indicates). Search results- including the Whitman Archive- only bring up the latter, with nothing for "Mary Smith Whitall Costelloe". She was apparently at any rate better known as "Mary Berenson", per the title of her article, but either way an internal link could usefully be added to this article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.144.66.120 (talk) 14:58, 26 May 2020 (UTC)

Thank you so much for this comment. How certain are we that this is the same person? I can easily make that update and link if appropriate to do so. --Midnightdreary (talk) 17:42, 26 May 2020 (UTC)

Hello, just reading this article and wondered about this person, and saw this posting; these sources seem pretty definitive:

https://whitmanarchive.org/criticism/current/encyclopedia/entry_86.html https://ir.uiowa.edu/wwqr/vol17/iss3/2/ https://whitman-prod.unl.edu/biography/correspondence/tei/loc.01344.html https://itatti.harvard.edu/mary-berenson The Harvard site seems the most helpful in bringing it all together (her birth name/ parents, married name, friendship with Whitman). Also I guess the first commenter meant she was daughter of "ROBERT" Pearsall Smith (his son was Logan), as Mary Berenson's article here says that, with sources. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.144.75.151 (talk) 15:11, 19 September 2020 (UTC)

Walt Whitman Statue at Rutgers Camden

In the legacy/statues section, the Walt Whitman statue in front of the campus center/union should be mentioned, the campus green is a few blocks from the Walt Whitman House. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.115.249.252 (talk) 15:16, 28 June 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 6 October 2020

Add one or more quotes to Slavery section, as the section as it stands does not sufficiently characterize recent scholarship on Whitman's racism and the profound questions it raises about Whitman's legacy.

Whitman wrote in 1858 in the article Prohibition of Colored Persons, "Who believes that the Whites and Blacks can ever amalgamate in America? Or who wishes it to happen? Nature has set an impassable seal against it. Besides, is not America for the Whites? And is it not better so?"

Source: Noverr, Douglas A., et al. Walt Whitman's Selected Journalism. United States, University of Iowa Press, 2015, pg. 52.

and

As Whitman wrote during Reconstruction, "As if we had not strained the voting and digestive caliber of American Democracy to the utmost for the last fifty years with the millions of ignorant foreigners, we have now infused a powerful percentage of blacks, with about as much intellect and calibre (in the mass) as so many baboons."

Source: Reynolds, David S. Walt Whitman's America: A Cultural Biography. Vintage, 1996. pg. 470. Otaverse (talk) 16:56, 6 October 2020 (UTC)

 Not done. Bare quotes from the subject of the article without any secondary commentary generally aren't helpful. –Deacon Vorbis (carbon • videos) 19:55, 6 October 2020 (UTC)

For what it's worth, I believe these are worthwhile additions. The context is already provided in the article in its current state; this is merely complementary material. --Midnightdreary (talk) 20:20, 6 October 2020 (UTC)

reference to his "nickname" but no statement of it

Under the subhead "Civil War Years," toward the end of the 4th paragraph is a reference to the establishment of Whitman's "nickname," but it's not stated anywhere in the article. Looking elsewhere I found: "Bard of Democracy" (also found in the article end notes under "Exhibitions"). Here is the sentence that could be improved by adding, "Bard of Democracy" after "nickname": The fifty-cent pamphlet defended Whitman as a wholesome patriot, established the poet's nickname and increased his popularity.[89]. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.178.181.214 (talk) 21:26, 20 November 2020 (UTC)

In the preceding sentence, it mentions it: "The Good Gray Poet." --Midnightdreary (talk) 21:30, 20 November 2020 (UTC)

Whitman's parents

Although the article makes some reference to Whitman being raised in less than affluent circumstances, oddly no mention is made of his parents' occupations; virtually all biographical sources state that Walter Whitman was a carpenter and house-builder, who at one point tried farming. Given virtually all biographical articles seem to mention such details, it seems like a somewhat surprising omission here.

Good luck adding this information! Just remember to cite properly using reliable sources. --Midnightdreary (talk) 22:24, 1 July 2021 (UTC)

Sex education

What is your opinion about sex education?

117.242.25.183 (talk) 09:59, 15 December 2021 (UTC)