For this first
blog, I will compare and contrast “For You O Democracy” by Walt Whitman and “Wingfoot Lake” by Rita Dove. I enjoyed the historical elements of both poems and looking
at the differences in themes of each as well. In this comparison and contrast,
we will primarily look at the thematic difference of the two poems.
The
title alone of Whitman’s poem is intriguing because Whitman is dedicating this
poem to Democracy. And while everyone more than likely knows the definition of
democracy, my first thought when I read this was, what exactly is democracy? It is an organization
or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has equal rights. This simple
definition helped me to grasp the major themes of unity and equality of
Whitman’s poem. Whitman describes this permanent, strong, attractive place that
is filled with unity and companionship. Through the patriotic language, Whitman
will create this land for his “ma femme,” (meaning my woman) which is Democracy. There is
a strong sense of unity and equality here in Whitman’s poem. Even the closeness of Democracy being portrayed as Whitman's "woman" displays a picture of unity and companionship. Whitman begins by stating,
Come, I will
make the continent indissoluble,
I will make the
most splendid race the sun has ever shone upon,
I will make
divine, magnetic lands,
With the love of comrades,
With the life-long love
of comrades.
Whitman paints
this picture of a unified race, the most splendid race even. Whitman continues
with the themes of companionship, unity, and the love of comrades. He compares
the companionship he will create with the thickness trees along the American
riverbanks. Whitman’s poem fosters a sense of strength and a race working
together.
In stark contrast, "Wingfoot Lake" by
Rita Dove makes the reader feels a heavy distance between the people of the
poem versus a strong unity and companionship shown in Whitman’s “For You O
Democracy.” The poem is set on Independence Day of 1964, and along with
patriotic themes, the poem also carries hints of the Civil Rights movement
happening during the 1960s. Once the reader reaches the second stanza, a
certain heaviness and tension sets in because of the distance between the white
people and the black people at the company picnic. Even though there is a sense
of unity—by the use of the same Heinz
bottles, the same waxy beef patties,
and the same Salem potato chips—there
is still separation and lack of unity between the whites and blacks during this
time. Dove builds her poem on a patriotic holiday, that almost symbolizes the
unity of Americans with the celebration of the independence of their country, yet
Dove juxtaposes this unity with the separation of blacks and whites, and the
tensions of being black during the 1960s.
And
while Whitman and Dove’s poems do carry contrasting thematic elements, they do
share common thematic elements as well. Through the language of Whitman’s “For
You O Democracy” and the setting of Dove’s “Wingfoot Lake” the reader can see
the theme of patriotism and history throughout each writer’s poems.
