Walt Whitman was a follower of the two Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. ... Whitman lent himself to this concept of independence. ... Because Whitman immodestly praised the human body and glorified the senses, "Walt Whitman's poems assert the worth of the individual and the oneness of all humanity." ... Both poems talk about death and the impression in the tone and symbols that exudes creativity. ... Eternity and death are two important characters in the poems; in fact eternity is a state of being. . ...

• Word Count: 617
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School