To a Stranger

PASSING 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 recalld 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, 5
I ate with you, and slept with youyour body has become not yours only, nor
left my body mine only,

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

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

I am to waitI do not doubt I am to meet you again,
I am to see to it that I do not lose you.

Questions:

What style of poetry does Whitman use in this particular poem? Free verse
How many lines? 10 line stanza
What kind of poetic devices are used in this poem? Examples? Repetition (lines 2, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
What references does Whitman make to the body and/or soul? You give me the
pleasure of your eyes, face, flesh, as we pass you take of my beard, breast, hands, in
return,/ Your body has become not yours only, nor left my body mine only *The
relationship between body and soul is a frequent theme in Whitmans work:
connection between physical body and nature. Transcendentalism.
What do you think the lack of gender identification of the stranger says about
Whitmans view on humanity? That the connection between two people, specifically
these strangers, extends beyond the boundaries societal norms or even, the human
world. He expresses tenderness towards humanity in general.

Exercise in packet:

Ex.2

a-
Has any one supposed it lucky to be born?
I hasten to inform him or her it is just as lucky to die

b-Maybe both: He may be comparing to God because of the idea of being everywhere and
with everyone, but this is also a way of embracing a sense of partnership with the rest of
mankind (this is my answer, Mari Carmen, you choose yours because, most probably, they
will not say this)

c- It enhances this association of partnership. All the people come to me; this could be the
paraphrase of the structure.

d- idea of partnership-mankind, a stranger is not a stranger, but a man/woman who we can
identify with. Kind of religious feeling-Christian


Walt Whitman

Early Life

Born May 31, 1819 in Long Island, New York, the second of nine children
Whitman looked back on his childhood as generally restless and unhappy, due
to his familys difficult economic status.
Worked first as an office boy for two lawyers and later was an apprentice for the
weekly Long Island newspaper The Patriot. There he learned about typesetting and
the printing press.

Writing Style

In 1850, he began writing what would become Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry
which he would continue editing and revising until his death.
The original edition went to retail in 1856, and it was revised and re-released in
1860 and several more times throughout his life.
His work broke the boundaries of poetic form and is generally prose-like
He used unusual imagery and symbols and opening wrote about death,
sexuality, and prostitution.
He is often labeled the father of free verse, although he did not invent it.

Poetic Theory

Whitman believed there was a vital, symbiotic relationship between the poet
and society. Ex: Song of Myself
Leaves of Grass also responded to the impact that recent urbanization in the United
States had on the masses.

Religion

Whitman denied that any one faith was more important than the other and
embraced all religions equally.
He was also a religious skeptic: though he accepted all churches, he didnt believe in
any.
He believed that God was both immanent and transcendent and that the
human soul was immortal and in a state of constant progressive development.



Sexuality

He is generally assumed to be homosexual or bisexual based on his poetry, although
this fact is disputed.
While there is evidence that he has had intense relationships with men in his life,
there is no proof of any sexual relationship.
There is also some evidence that he may have had relationships with women.

Whitmans Legacy

Whitman opposed the extension of slavery in the United States an has been claimed
as America's first "poet of democracy", a title meant to reflect his ability to write in a
singularly American character.