The Representation of Individualism in Works of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson

In unit one, our main goal was to study on what qualities a unique individual has. In english, what individuality shows is a quality that makes someone unique because no one else has those qualities. The text’s that I chose is “On the Beach at Night Alone” by Walt Whitman, ”Fame is a Fickle Food” by Emily Dickinson, and “From Nature” by Ralph Emerson. All of these text represent individualism. In unit one individualism was represented by fame, connection, and unity.

To begin with, in unit 1, the demonstration of unique individualism in America was represented by connection. For example, in the text “On the Beach at Night Alone” by Walt Whitman he says “A vast similitude interlocks all, All spheres,grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets, All distances of place however wide. “Whitman (Lines 4-6)” This quote from Whitman represents how everyone is connected and that we are all one. He also describes in the quote that America is all connected no matter the race or religion.

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Thus Whitman’s text “On the Beach at Night Alone” represented unique individualism in America through connection.

In addition, in unit 1, the demonstration of unique individualism in America was represented by fame. For example, in the text “Fame is a Fickle Food” by Emily Dickinson she said “Fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate” (Dickinson Lines1-2) This qoute represents fame because the quote explains how fame is constantly changing by fame is not stable. In addition, Dickinson is trying to explain what fame is like in America Thus she claims that fame in America is unstable and you never know what could happen because its on a “shifting plate” Therefore Emily Dickinson text “Fame is a fickle food” represented unique individualism in America though fame.

Lastly, in unit 1, the demonstration of unique individualism in America was represented by unity. For example, in the text “From Nature” by Emerson he states that “The greatest delight which the fields and woods minister, is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable” (Emerson 2) This quote Emmerson emphasizes that man and nature are in unity, He goes on to explain further how man and nature and connected because whatever a man does, nature does, vice versa. Therefore Emmerson believes that in America, man and nature are an example of Unity because they are all one and connected. This shows Emersons text “From Nature” represented unique individualism in America through unity.

In conclusion, in unit 1, the demonstration of unique individualism in America was represented by connection, fame and unity. Throughout this essay I discovered what it means to be an individual. This was done through understanding what made these authors unique during the time. The text that influenced me during this unit was “On the BEach at Night Alone” by Walt Whitman, “Fame is a Fickle Food” by Emily Dickinson, and “From Nature” by ralph Emerson. This being said, there is no doubt that each individual author is unique for their time because of their ability to write about their personal experiences and views about america through their expressive literature.