Nature and Religion in Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson

Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of Duisburg-Essen (Anglophone Studies), course: A Survey of American Literature , language: English, abstract: The focus of this term paper will be on Walt Whitman`s 'Song of Myself' and a selection of Emily Dickinson`s poems that suit the research topic. The first part of this paper will analyze Whitman`s 'Song of Myself' regarding Nature and Religion. His view on things in general was unique and forward for his era and so was his language and choice of words. This paper is going to illustrate Whitman`s beliefs and his relationship with both topics on a deeper level. The second part of this paper will concentrate on a selection of Emily Dickinson's poems that relate to Nature and Religion. Her style of writing is not as explicit as Whitman`s and therefore needs to be broken down more. This paper will highlight her exceptional view on nature and religion which was different from the contemporary one. The third part will then continue establishing which attitude Dickinson and Whitman represent more specifically in their poetry by pointing out similarities and differences. Therefore, this part will essentially summarize the results from the previous chapters and strengthen them. The last part consists of a conclusion, which will be a recap of the examined topic that is nature and religion in Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. Furthermore, it will provide an outlook on further research opportunities and things that could not be addressed in this paper yet. Overall, this paper will argue that Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are both influenced by the American Romanticism and not only mirror that in their work, but also exceed it. It will also establish what their individual perception of nature and religion is.