Walt Whitman

WALT WHITMAN:
PREVIEW
SKIMMING: Skim the reading to gain a general impression.
1. Read the title and first two lines of each poem.

-ON JOURNEY THROUGH THE STATES.
On journey through thestates we start
(Ay through the world, urged by these songs…)

-ONCE I PASS’D THROUGH A POPULOUS CITY
Once i passed through a populous city imprinting my brain for future
Use with its shows,architecture, customs, and traditions…

-FACING WEST FROM CALIFORNIA’S SHORES
Facing west from California’s shores
Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound …

-O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Ocaptain! My captain! Our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weathered every rack; the prize we sought is won…

2. Skim each poem to get an idea of its form and length.

Walt Whitman’s poetry isself- confessional and highly personal, while at the same time containing philosophical themes of death, love and religious faith, influence by romanticism.
He uses free verse, there is no conventionalrhyme or meter where he repeats certain phrases and uses commas to create both a rhyme and structure.

-On journey through the states. It has three stanzas.
-Once i passed through a populouscity. It’s one stanza.
-Facing west from California’s shores. It’s one stanza.
-O captain! My captain! It has three stanzas.

Questioning: answer the following questions and discuss your answer inclass.
1. - Where have you traveled in the United States?
-We haven’t traveled in the United States.
2. - Can you remember a special person you met on your travels? Who was that person?
-yes, I canremember a friendly French girl who helps me when I lost my fly from Spain to Italy. She also lost her fly to France and both help ourselves to find a next fly. She was really friendly with me.
3. -Would you like to take a trip around the world?
- Yes, we’d like to go to a trip around the world.
4. - What political leaders have been killed (assassinated) in your country or in other...