Chapter I

The Problem

A. INTRODUCTION
Having a term paper as a requirement for the graduating students is important. It may be
difficult for the students since it is their first time to make this requirement but it is fun to
do this, since this is one of knowing the author and the same time develop the
researchers skill in analyzing and interpreting ideas. In the writing this term paper the
researchers gain information and get familiar to the works and life story of the two
authors.
This term paper focuses the comparative study of William Blake and Walt Whitman. The
researchers gather information through research and analyze the data to answer the
question stated in the problem.

B. BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM BLAKE

William Blake was an English poet, engraver, and a painter. A boldly imaginative rebel
in both his through and art, he combined poetic and pictorial genius to explore life.
YOUTH

William Blake was born in London, England, on November 28, 1757, the second son of a
mens clothing merchant. From his earliest year he saw vision. He would see trees full of
angels on similar sights, if this were not true mystical visions; they were the results of the
artistic intense spiritual understanding of the world. From his early teens Blake wrote poems,
often setting them to melodies of his own composition. At the age of ten, Blake started at the
well-known Parks DrawingSchool, at age of fourteen; he began a seven year apprenticeship
to an engraver. It was as an engraver that Blake earned his living for the rest of his life. After
he was twenty-one, Blake studied for a time at The Royal Academy of Arts, but he was
unhappy with the instruction and left. In August 1782, Blake married Catherine Boucher. He
was taught her to read and to write, and she later became a valued assistant. His sweet sha of
delight, as Blake, called Catherine as a devoted and loving wife.
EARLY WORKS

When he was twenty-six he wrote a collection entitled Poetical Sketches and it was the only
one of Blakes poetic works to appear in conventional printed from he later invented and
practiced a new method.
After his father died on 1784, Blake set up a print shop next door to the family shop. In
1787, his beloved brother Robert died; thereafter Blake claimed that Robert communicated
with him in visions. It was Robert, Blake said, who inspired him with a new method of
illuminated etching. The words and on design was drawn on reverse on the plate covered
with an acid, resting substance; acid was them applied. Blake used his unique methods to
print almost all of his long poems.
In 1787, Blake produced Song of Innocence (1789) as the first major work in his new
process, followed by Song of Experience (1794). The magnificent lyrics of these two
collections carefully compare the openness of innocence with the bitterness of experience.

http: www. Online.Literature.com/Blake/

DAYS OF BETRAYAL

Blake spent the years 1800 to 1803 in Sussex working with William Hayley, a minor poet
and man of letters. With good intensions Hayley tired to cure Blake of his unprofitable
enthusiasm. Blake finally rebelled against this criticism and reject Hayleys help. In Milton
(c.1800-1810).Blake wrote an allegory in this relationship. He identified with the poet John
Milton (1600-1674) in leaving the safety to heaven and returning to earth. Also at this time
in life Blake was accused of uttering sedition (treasonous) sentiments. Has was later found
not guilty but the incident affected much of Blakes final epic. Jerusalem (c.1804-1820).
Back in London, Blake worked hard of this poems engraving and painting, but he suffered
several reverses. He also received insulting reviews of that project and of and exhibition he
grave in 1809 to introduce of idea of decorating public buildings with portable frescoes
(painting done on moist plaster using water-based paints). He composed the Four Zoas ,
mystical story predicting the future showing how evil rooted in mans basics faculties
reasons, passions, instinct, and imagination (Imagination was the hero).
LATER YEARS

The next decade is a sad and private period in Blakes life. He did some significant work,
including his designs on Miltons poems LAllegro and II Panseroso (1816) and the writing
of his own poem The Everlasting Gospel (c. 1818). He was also sometimes reduced to
writing for others and the public did not purchase on read his divinely inspired predictions
and visions. After 1818, however, conditions improved, his last six years of life were spent
of Foundation count surrounded by a group of admiring young artist.
CONTINUING INFLUENCE

Blakes history does not end his death. In his own lifetime he was almost unknown except to
a few friends and faithful sponsor. He was even suspected of being mad, but interest in work
grew during the middle of nineteenth century and difficult mythology.
He has been acclaimed as one who shares common ideals held by psychologist, writers
(most probably William Butler Yeats [1865-1939]). The works of William Blake have been
used by people rebelling against a wide variety if issues, such as war, conformity (behaving
in certain way because it is accepted on excepted), and almost every kind of repression.

BIOGRAPHY OF WALT WHITMAN

Walt Whitman was born in Long Island, New York, the son of a Quaker carpenter.
Whitmans mother was descended from Dutch farmers; there were slaves employed on the
farm when Whitman was very young. After leaving school in 1830, he became printers
apprentice. When the Great Fire on 1835 divested the city, and the printing industry,
Whitman was forced to return to his family for a period. He work then as a teacher and
journeyman printer, and held a variety of other jobs white writing and printing periodicals.
The Brooklyn Eagle from 1846 to 1848 and The Brooklyn times from 1857 to 1858. In
between Whitman spent three months of a New Orleans paper, and earning his living from
undistinguished hack work. During his formative years as a poet, he read Emerson, Carlyle,
and such as German writers as Goethe, Heine, Shlegel, and Hegel, though his knowledge of
German language was negligible. I couldnt understand a word, he said later in life. In
New York, Whitman witnessed the rapped growth of the city and wanted to write a new kind
of poetry in tune with mankinds new faith hopeful expectation and energy of his days.
Around the time of writing the first edition, Whitman knew little on nothing about Indian
philosophy expressed, but later critics recognized Indian ideas expressed in poem-words
from the Sanskrit are used carefully in some of the poems entitled Calamaus, which has
been taker as reflection of man for man.
During the Civil war, Whitman worked as a clerk in Washington, where his close friends
included William Douglas OCannon,a writer daguerreotypist and his wife Ellen who invited
him to their home.
Following the shock of the first battle of Bull Run, Whitman wrote the patriotic poem. Beat!
Beat!(1861), which the beating of the war drums is compared to a brutal force that shatters
the peaceful life. At that time, the future of America seemed to him smashd like a china
plate, as he said after the war. When his brother was wounded at Fredericksburg Whitman
went there to care for him and also for other union and confederate soldiers.
The war had its effect on the writer which is shown in the poem published under the title of
DRUMTAPS (1865). In its companion volume, SEQUEL (1865-66), appeared on elegy on
President Abraham Lincoln, When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomd another famous
poem about the death of Lincoln is to O Captain!! I love the president personally,
Whitman wrote in his diary.
____________________________

http: //kirjasto.sci.fi/ wwhitman. htm

4

On the basis of his services Whitman was given a clerkship in the Department of Interior. He
transferred them to the attorney general office, when his chief labeled
Leaves of Grass: is an indecent book. At the age of sixty four Whitman settled in a little
house on Mickle Street in Camden, New Jersey where he spent almost the rest of his life. He
was taken care of by a widow he had befriended. His reputation was shadowed by his
outspokenness on sexual matters began to rise after recognition in England by Algerton
Charles Swinburne, Anne Gilchrist, and Edward Carpenter. In 1871 Whitman politely
declined Gilchrist offer a marriage. Visitors from abroad also included in 1882 the Irish
playwright Oscar Wilde, who said that there is no one in this wide great world of America
whom I love and honor so much.

C. THE PROBLEM
The researcher will present now there problem that is need to be solve.

1. How did the past experience of William Blake and Walt Whitman influence their works?
2. How did the poems of William Blake differ from the poems of Walt Whitman? In the
following :
A. Themes
B. Style
C. Poetic devices

D. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY:

The research is focused on the poems of Walt Whitman The Dirge for Two
Veteransand The Midnight Sleep and the poems of William Blake The Angel andMy
SpectreAround Me. It limits on the themes, style, poetic device they use in their poems.
The research paper was started on August 2011 and it is expected to be
finished at the end of January 2012.

E. METHODS AND SOURCES OF THE STUDY:

Methods:
The methods used in the research are surfing from internet, researching, and
from books.
The informationare taken from the internet and books.

Sources:

F. DEFINITION OF TERM USED:

Bereaved- suffering the death of a loved one.

My SpectreAround Me, Stanza 5, Line 2
* In the poem, the author is suffering from the death of his loved one.
Ghastly- terrifying, horrible, intensely, or shocking.
Dirge for Two Veterans, Stanza 11, Line 3
* Ghastly is used in the poem to describe a moon, a terrifying
man.
Grave- a hole dug in the ground burying the dead.
Dirge for Two Veterans, Stanza 1, Line 4
* Grave is in the poem is use as a burying soldier.
Immense - a very great in sized on amount; HUGE.
Dirge for Two Veterans, Stanza 2, Line 4
* Immense is used to describe the moon in the poem, a very
moon.

HUGE

Pavement - a hard solid surface, covering or flooring for a road or footway, usually
resting immediately on the ground.
Dirge for Two Veterans, Stanza 1, Line 3
* The word used as a solid or a big wall.

CHAPTER II
PRESENTATION AND REVIEW OF
RELATED LITERATURE

In this chapter, the researchers present the poems of the two authors to
show how they differ from each other or poetic device.
The researchers are glad to present the poems because they know the
poems are interesting.

B.PRESENTATION

MY SPECTRE AROUND ME
By: William Blake

My spectre around me night and day

Like a wild beast guards my way
My emanation for within
Weep incessantly for my sin.
A fathomless and boundless deep
There we wander, there we weep:
On the hungry craving wind
My spectre follows thee behind.
He scent they footsteps in the snow,
Wheresoever thou dost go
Through the wintry hail and rain,
When will thou return again?
Dost thou not in pride and scorn
Till with tempests my entire morn
And with jealousies and fears
Till my pleasant night with tears?
Seven of my sweet loves thy knife
Has bereaved of their life
Their marble tombs I built with tears
And with cold and shuddering fears.

_________________
http:// www. Poemhunter.com/poem/my-spectre-around-me-night-and-day

Seven more loves weep night and day

Round the toms where my loves day
And seven more loves attend each night
Around my cough torches bright.
And seven more loves in my bed
Crown with wine my mournful head,
Pitying and forgiving all
Thy transgressions, great and small.

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DIRGE FOR TWO VETERANS4

by: Walt Whitman

The last sunbeam

Lightly falls from the finishd Sabbath,
On the pavement here and there beyond it is looking,
Down a new-made double grave.
Lo! the moon ascending!
Up from the east the silvery round moon:
Beautiful over the house tops, ghastly, phantom moon,
Immense and silent moon.
I see a procession,
And I hear the sound of coming full-keyd bugles:
All the channels of the streets theyne flooding:
As with the voices and with tears.
I hear the great drums pounding
And the small drums steady whirring;
And every blow of the great convulsive drums,
Strikes me through and through.
For the son is brought with the father;
In the foremost rank of the fierce assault they fell;
Two veterans son and father dropt together,
And the double grave awaits them.
Now mearer blow the bugles,
And the drums strike more convulsive;
And the daylight oer the pavement quite has faded
And the strong dead march enwraps me
In the eastern sky up-buoying,
The sorrowful vast phantom moves illumind;
(This some mothers large transparent face,
In the heaven brighter growing.)
___________________
4

http://www.poetry.about.com/od/poems/1/ blWhitmandirge.htm

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O strong dead-march, you please me!

O moon immense, with your silvery face you soothe me!
O my soldier twain! O my veterans, passing to burial!
What I have also give you.
The moons give you light,
And the bugles and the drums give you music;
And my heart, O my soldiers, my veterans,
My heart gives you love.

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THE ANGEL5
By: William Blake

I dreamt a dream! What can it mean?

And that I was maiden Queen
Guarded by an angel mild;
Wittess woe was mere beguiled
And I wept both night and day
And he wept tears away;
And I wept both day and night
And hid from him my hearts delight.
So he took his wings, and fled,
Then the morn blushes rosy red.
I dried my tears, and armed my fears
With ten thousand shields and spears
Soon my angel came again;
I was armed, he come in vain
For the time of youth was fled
And grey hairs were on my head.

_______________________________________________

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/angel-the/

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IN THE MIDNIGHT SLEEP6

by: Walt Whitman

In the midnight sleep, of many face of anguish,

Of the look at first of the mortally wounded of that indescribable look;
Of the dead on their backs, with arms extended wide
I dream, I dream, I dream
Of scenes of nature, fields, and mountains;
Of skies, so beauteous after a storm and at night the moon so unearthly bright,
Shining sweetly, shining down, where big the trenches and gather the heap,
I dream, I dream, I dream
Long, long have they passd faces and trenches and fields;
Where through the carnage I moved with a callous
Composure or away from the fallen
Onward I sped at the time, but now of their form at night
I dream, I dream, I dream

_______________________________

http://www.poemhunter.com/in-midnight-sleep/

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A. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

1.

The experience of William Blake that affect his works, when he saw visions. He would
see trees full of angels, because of this, his work are inspired with the angels and love.
This experiences is supported by his poem entitled The Angel on stanza 1, as you read
the stanza 1, it states that the author is dreaming that he is like a queen guarded by the
angels. While Walt Whitman based his works through love for his motherland, this is
supported by his poem entitled Dirge for Two Veterans in stanza 3. It states about the
parade of dead soldiers which related to his poem about war.

2. The theme of William Blakes poem as learned by the researchers is love this supported
by his other poem entitled The Little Boy Found stanza 2, line 1, which states he
kissed the child and by the hand led. Which is a strong indication of the Gods love to
his some appeard like his father, and brought the boy to his mother who is full of
sorrow. Another poem that supports the theme of William Blake poems, entitled The
Clod and Pebble stanza 1, line 1, which states Love seeketh not itself to please and
stanza 3, line 1 , which also states Love seeketh only to self to please, which express
the two kinds of love; the unselfish love and selfish love. In stanza 1
The theme that supports Walt Whitmans poems is about war. One poem entitled O
Captain! My Captain!supported the main poem of Walt Whitman. In stanza 1, line 1,
the captain referred to Abraham Lincoln, the former president of the USA and fearful
trip referred to a ship which is used by Abraham Lincoln in sailing. In line1, he
expressed the feelings to his captain when the war was ended, but the captain died on
the ship when he almost reaches the port that makes the people mad and lonely of the
dead of the captain that leads them to victory in war. Another poem that supports the
poem of Walt Whitman entitled When I Heard the Learned Astronomers with the
theme of love, which stated in line 4 When I, sitting, heard the astronomers where he
lectured with much applause in the lecture room, were in this, the astronomers
appreciated and loved what the speaker did in his lecture, but he feel tired and sick, and
he didnt wandered by himself of what he learned about the learnings of the
astronomers. The speaker just watches the evening sky feeling the moist in night.

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CHAPTER III
ANALYSIS

In this chapter, the researchers present their analysis of the works of the
William Blake and Walt Whitman. They are confident to present the themes, poetic devices,
and style that the two authors used.

16

To answer the following questions:

1. How did the past experience of the two authors influenced their works?
- The experience of William Blake That affects his works, when he saw visions.
He would see trees full of angels, because of this; his works are inspired with the angels
and love, While Walt Whitman based his works through love for his motherland and war.
2. How did the poems of William Blake differ from the poems of Walt Whitman? in the
following:
A. Theme
- The theme of Walt Whitmans poem is the love for his motherland and love for
the democracy of there country. In poem 2, stanza 3, it states about parade of a dead
soldiers from the war to protect his country. It tells the result of the war to the
people. William Blakes theme for his poem are commonly love and angels. In the
poem 3, stanza 1, it states that the author is dreaming that he is like a queen guarded
with the angels.

B. Style
- The style of William Blake in writing his poems are deceptively easy and truly
observe, he was also influenced by Milton for his famous unrhymed Iambic penta
meter, while the style of Walt Whitman to his poem in actually none.

C. Poetic Devices

1. Alliteration
- The use on repetition of a succession of words with same initial letter or
sound.

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Walt Whitman
Dirge for Two Veterans
Stanza 1, line 2 - falls- finishd
line 3 - the - there
line 4 - with - double
Stanza 3, line 1 - see - sand
line 3 - the - theyre
line 4 - with - with
Stanza 4, line 4 - through - through
Stanza 5, line 1 - for - father
line 2 - foremost - fierce - fell
line 4 - the - theme
Stanza 6, line 3 - the - the
Stanza 8, line 2 - your - you
line 3 - O - O
line 4 - l - l
Stanza 9, line 2 - the - the
line 3 - my - my
In the Midnight Sleep
Stanza 1, line 1 - midnight - many
line 2 - that - the
line 3 - their - the
- wide - width
Stanza 2, line 3 - down - dig
Stanza 3, line 1 - faces - field
line 2 - through - the
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line 3 - now - night

William Blake
My SpectreAround Me
Stanza 1, line 1 - my - me
- around - are
line 2 - wild - away
Stanza 2, line 2 - wander - weep
Stanza 3, line 1 - thy - the
line 2 - through - the
Stanza 5, line 3 - tomb - tears
Stanza 6, line 2 - loves - lay
line 3 - and - attend
The Angel
Stanza 1

2. Assonance
19

- It is a phonetic device in which writers repeat similar vowels sound without

corresponding repetition of consonants.

William Blake
My SpectreAround Me
Stanza 1, line 1 - spectre - me
Stanza 2, line 4 - spectre - thee

3. Rhyming
Walt Whitman
Dirge for Two Veterans
Stanza 1
sunbeam
sabbath
looking
grave

-a
-b
-c
-d

Stanza 2
ascending - c
moon
moon
moon

-e
-e
-e

Stanza 3
procession - f
bugles
-g
flooding - c
tears
-h

Stanza 4
pounding
-c
whirring
-c
drums
through

-i
-j

Stanza 5
father - k
fell
together
them

Stanza 6
-g
convulsive
faded
me

-h
-o
-p

Stanza 8
me
me
burial
you

-p
-p
-s
-t

bugles
-l
-k
-m

Stanza 7
up-buoying -c
illumind - g
face
-r
growing
-c
Stanza 9
20

light
-u
music
-v
veterans - w
love
-x

In the Midnight Sleep

Stanza 1
anguish
look
wide
dream

-a
-b
-c
-d

Stanza 2
mountains
bright
heap
dream - d

-e
-f
-g

Stanza 3
fields
fallen
night
dream - d

-h
-i
-f

William Blake
My SpectreAround Me
Stanza 1
day
way
within
sin
Stanza 3
snow
go
rain

-a
-a
-b
-b

Stanza 2
deep - c
weep - c
wind - d
behind - d

-e
-e
-f

Stanza 4
scorn - g
morn - g
fears - h
21

again
Stanza 5
knife
life
tears
fears

-f

tears
Stanza 6
day
lay
night
bright

-i
-I
-h
-h
Stanza 7
bed
head
all
small

-k
-k
-l
-l

The Angel
Stanza 1
mean
queen
mild
beguiled

-a
-a
-b
-b

Stanza 2
day
away
night
delight

-c
-c
-d
-d

Stanza 3
fled
red
fears
spears

-e
-e
-f
-f

Stanza 4
again
vain
fled
head

-g
-g
-e
-e

diphthong lacking

CHAPTER IV
22

-h
-a
-a
-j
-j

FINDINGS

In this chapter, the researchers present their findings about the works of the two authors.
The researchers are eager to learn the works of the two authors differences.

FINDINGS:
23

- The researchers found out that the life of Walt Whitman influences his works, in
his poems. The common themes throughout his poems is his intense love for his motherland, so
often describes the trees, the plants, the birds, the people, and specially the government and the
war, it shows the intense love for his motherland. In poetic devices, Whitman uses alliteration,
assonance, rhyming, and diphthong. On William Blake, the common themes for his poems are
influenced by his visions. He would see trees full of angels and because of this, his work are
inspired with the angels and love. In style,William Blakes poems are deceptively easy and truly
observe, he was also influenced by Milton for his famous unrhymed Iambic penta meter. In
poetic devices he uses also alliteration, assonance, rhyming, and Diphthongs.

24

CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDAITON

In this chapter, the researchers presented their conclusion and

recommendation beheaded on this term paper.
The researchers are happy of what they learned about the works of the two
authors.

25

A. Conclusion
The researchers conclude that the difference between Walt Whitmans poems and
William Blakes poems is theme and style of writing because the theme of Walt Whitman is
all about war and love for his motherland while William Blake themes is all about his visions
and love and in style Walt Whitman has none style of writing while William Blake influenced
his style form Milton.
The researchers conclude that the life of Walt Whitman influences his works, in his
poem and the theme of his poems is all about war and love to his motherland while William
Blakes poem influenced by his visions, in angel and love. In poetic devices Walt Whitman
did not used regular rhyming while William Blake used regular rhyming.

Recommendation lacking
....

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.poetry.about.com/od/poems/1/ blWhitmandirge.htm
http:// www. Poemhunter.com/poem/my-spectre-around-me-night-and-day
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/angel-the/
http://www.poemhunter.com/in-midnight-sleep/

27

DEDICATION:

First and foremost, I would like to give our sincere thanks and praise to our
almighty father with his deniable power and immeasurable love not wise for us but for the
whole human race.
To our beloved parents with there continuously support and understanding
especially in times that we almost forgot our responsibility as a son. Thank you so much with
your love and compassion we can be a fulfilled person someday.
To Our teachers, our second parents with their administrable courage and
patience, to them we also offer this activity. Without their thorough teaching and lessons we
wont be here in this year level.
To our classmates and friends we also dedicate this requirement. Thank you
so much, not just for being of there always and helping us in making this requirement but also
you accepted us as a friend. At first we thought that you were hostile.

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