Walt Whitman 2

To A STRANGER
by: Walt Whitman

ASSING stranger! you do not know how longingly I look upon you,

You must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking, (it comes to me as of a dream,)

I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you,

All is recall'd as we flit by each other, fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured,

You grew up with me, were a boy with me or a girl with me,

I ate with you and slept with you, your body has become not yours only nor left my body mine only,

You give me the pleasure of your eyes, face, flesh, as we pass, you take of my beard, breast, hands, in return,

I am not to speak to you, I am to think of you when I sit alone or wake at night alone,

I am to wait, I do not doubt I am to meet you again,

I am to see to it that I do not lose you










I chose this poem, because its all about the what if. He talks about the memories that could be made if he was friends or neighbors or married with the person. How one little encounter with this person could keep you up all night thinking of them, or even dreaming of them. How this person could have a negative or positive affect on your day, or life. But in the end the stranger will just pass by and the thoughts of what if will eventually fade.

Walt Whitman

Who was Walt Whitman?
Walt Whitman was a poet, a teacher, a journalist, and involved in politics. He felt very strong about not drinking alcohol, and didn't drink a "strong" drink til his thirties. He wasn't much of one belief in a religion, he respected all religions.

What type of literature did he write?
He was a humanist.Which is based of perspective of the human. It deals a lot with philosophy. He also created Free verse, which is poetry that is musical patterns, and ryhme.


Is he realist or romanticist? why?
Walt Whitman was a romanticist but had some realism in his poetry. He was romantism for when he wrote free verse style.




If i had to pick a poem i like it would be O Captain My Captain
only because its the one poem that actually was understandable to me. I could make sense of it.

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought         is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring,      But O heart! heart! heart!           O the bleeding drops of red,                Where on the deck my Captain lies,                     Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills, For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths—for you the shores         a‑crowding, For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning,      Here, Captain! dear father!           This arm beneath your head;                It is some dream that on the deck                     You've fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed         and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;      Exult, O shores, and ring O bells!           But I with mournful tread                Walk the deck my Captain lies,                     Fallen cold and dead.

Beginning

This year has started off just like any other year. Third week in and I'm already looking forward to the next break. Test haven't truly been anything challenging yet. Sporting events seem to take up all my time outside of school half the time. I look forward to sleep more then ever this year. At school I cant help but to want to sleep. But eventually I will get use to all of it. With computers this year I feel like they are helpful but also make things worse because I'm not one to like to be behind the class and and when I cant figure something out with them, it worries me and I get frustrated very easily. The year has only begun so bring on the challenges and I will just have to prepare myself.