Abstract
AbstractBy asking what happens to our understanding of Walt Whitman and his cultural project if we turn to the question of sound, this chapter considers the nuances, inflections, tenor, idiosyncrasies, and cadences of his poetry to disclose a particular rhetoric that is attempting to constitute itself as a national idiom. Examining three different emanations of sound in Whitman's poetry—his use of anaphora; his reference to the Yankee fife; and his staging of black dialect—the chapter contends that Whitman uses different sonic forms in Leaves of Grass to enunciate a person's relationship to the nation. It argues that Whitman's preoccupation with the audible—as the most basic unit of the sonic field upon which the poems and songs are built—shapes his poetics and politics of Leaves of Grass.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
