Pogadaeva E. V.

America as ontological substance in work of Walt Whitman (based
on the poems Song of Myself and Starting from Paumanok). Pp. 97–108.

UDC 821.111(73)-1.09″18″

DOI 10.37724/RSU.2023.81.4.010

 

Abstract. The article is devoted to the study of Americanness in Walt Whitman’s poetry. Two Whitman’s program-poems, Song of Myself and Starting from Paumanok, are analysed. The major themes, problems, motives, images of poet’s work are seen in these poems and have a direct connection to his understanding of Americanness. The relevance of the study is due to the importance of Walt Whitman in world literature and the insufficiently studied phenomenon of Americanness in his works. The aim of the article is to
define ideological, ontological foundations of Americanness in Whitman’s poetry. It is concluded that Whitman merges two images of America created by himself, a real and ideal, or mythological, suprahistorical, ontological America, where the latter dominates. The poet places America at the center of his syncretic poetic universe which is in constant flux and amelioration. Generalizing this complex image of America, Whitman creates a model of a New World from it and a Citizen of this world, a New Man, an American. The image of Americans is in a continuous process of change and formation. Although Whitman gives the characteristics that define Americans: Americans are the best and leading nation in the world, they are creative, proud, independent, free, they are winners and pioneers, opening new lands, going forward and always succeeding in everything they do. Moreover, the main problem in Whitman’s work is identification of himself as an American and a poet. The real American, as Whitman states in his poetry, is a poet constructing the New World where everything, a man, the nature and the Universe, works as a whole.

 

Keywords: Americanness, cosmism, New World, New Man, ontology of Americanness, pioneers, Walt Whitman, Song of Myself, Starting from Paumanok.

 

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