Last Blog Post

I wasn't sure what to do, and I didn't want to type a looooong blog post, so I decided to write a haiku that represented my high school for me.

The morning sunrise
Drifting away till sunset
Angst, Despair, Complete

(This was harder than it looks, coming up with the right words and making sense with those words)

Whitman Journals

The first thing I noticed is that Whitman had very bad handwriting. It is difficult to read what he has written, but there is a considerable amount that is legible. There were few references of the word liberty (I believe it says "Libertad"), and Christ. Looking further into his journal, I was rather amazed by the drawings. I believe most of them are drawings of Whitman himself, just with a different pose or accessory(i'm referencing the hats). There was also this strange drawing of what looked like a stick figure angel with a skull face and a torso shaped like a heart. This journal reveals a little more about Whitman's character. It shows us that he really does care about other people, and this caring nature extends to his political views (mentioning liberty so much). On that same note, it shows his interest perhaps in politics and government because he also mentions "the old England" and the queen of England when he talks about liberty. Additionally, I believe the drawings reveal, to some extent, Whitman's vanity. Whitman does refer to himself a number of times in his poems, and the drawings are a reflection of this self appreciation. 

 Walt Whitman's actual note transcripts show that he was actually interested in politics. Specifically, he fancied president Lincoln and tried to meet him many times. Essentially, a large portion of his journal referenced a presidential race, which further shows his devotion to his community not only as a source of compassion, but also information. Whitman's journal really helps us understand more about his beliefs and who he really is. As I mentioned earlier, there is a reference to Christ in the journal, and this is related to an entry about religion, and the value and meaning it holds to Whitman. Ultimately, Whitman's journal does more than just show us how creatively he thinks or his thought process while he brainstorms. Instead, it reveals just who Walt Whitman is in a way that is a lot more unique and direct than it being told by another person.