Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" celebrates the individual as independent entity, and as a part of a collective oneness, composed of all selves. Bringing himself and the reader together as one, and then listing other members who lend themselves to the aggregate whole of American society, from the banker to the prostitute and the slave, he invokes a world in which all are created equal, defying a status-quo that regarded at least half the US population at that time as less than human, denying them the same personal liberties reserved for white males. The poem, a cultural object unto itself, employs a variety of tropes that both emphasize and celebrate the tensions present in the relationship between the individual and society.Here are some leads into the cultural climate in which Whitman composed "Song of Myself:"
Free/Slave States: From as early as 1787, up through the Civil War, states were admitted into the Union as "Free" or "Slave." Those not allowing slavery designated as Free, and those that did, Slave.
Nat Turner: An enslaved man who escaped and led a bloody insurrection in 1831, resulting in the murder of many white slave owners and their families.
American Anti-Slavery Society: National abolitionist group formed in 1833 from a conglomeration of other organizations, working for a peace-able end to slavery in the United States.
Frederick Douglass: A man who escaped bondage and in 1845 published his autobiographical work, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave.
Seneca Falls Women's Conference: Organized by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, among others, in reaction to women being barred participation in the International Anti-Slavery Convention held in London in 1840. The Women's Conference happened in 1848, and there Sojourner Truth, formerly a slave, delivered her famous "Ain't I a Woman" speech.
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: Federal law passed to abate Southern animosity over Northern efforts to eradicate slavery, the institution that was the backbone of the Southern agricultural economy. Under this act, bounty hunters pursuing the alleged escapee could draft anyone to help them in recovering "fugitive slaves," thus forcing people who opposed slavery to participate in incarcerating and enslaving others. As this statute required no proof of "ownership," many free people of African heritage were captured and sold into slavery.
Underground Railroad: A series of "safe houses" situated along a route leading to freedom in the Northern states and Canada. Harriet Tubman, who had escaped slavery, is one of the greatest known conductors, credited with having rescued numerous people from bondage, including her own family. Though the dates of operation are hard to pin down, by the time Whitman was composing "Leaves of Grass," the Railroad was well known among abolitionists, and had been in operation for some years.
Assignment:
A. In "Song of Myself" Whitman refers to slaves and particularly the fugitive slave in several passages. Using the slave, fugitive slave, or another motif in the poem, write a page (or less, if you can do it thoroughly and concisely) explaining how this emblem of American society speaks to the underlying tensions in the relationship between the individual and collective whole, while at the same time rejoicing in it. Some questions to consider: Is such tension inevitable, valuable? What are some of the deeper issues that this tension might point to? Why would Whitman choose to include marginalized and degraded groups/peoples in a poem of celebration, particularly of the self? How does Whitman align himself which such groups? Is he sincere, convincing, successful?
B. Considering some of the questions above, and sticking to the main theme cited in A., write a page (or less, if you can do it thoroughly and concisely) choosing the image of the slave, fugitive slave, or another in the poem, and explore how it could never be reconciled into the American whole. Avoid attacking Whitman, instead present your own slant, based on the historical context in which the poem was written and maybe even map your argument to the present day.
Addendum: This assignment is the culminating one. I have others leading up to this that I was planning to post on the wiki-site with my Backward Design details, but the site would not allow me to post on our group page.
This looks really really promising! I'd be excited about doing the kind of work you outline here.
ReplyDeleteA couple of suggestions: you point to some really intriguing cultural contexts - - Nat Turner, Anti-Slavery Society, Douglass, Seneca Falls, etc. But what are the students going to do with and in these contexts? I.e. if you want them to locate and understand Whitman's wrestling with the individual/collective problem, what will they need to do with these contexts to help them?
This is the "intermediary cognitive skill" stuff that Randy Bass talks about - - rather than assuming students will be able to read texts or make connections - - we need to find ways to coach them through these readings and practices. Why not start the assignment with a more focused journey into one of your contexts - - a kind of guided inquiry that helps students to focus on and think about the kind of issues (in Whitman) that you're interested in.
I.e. can you work up what kinds of activities would develop the skills and knowledges students need to tackle Nat Turner or Douglass etc.? Of course, to focus this question, you'll need to start with some particular text or object - - contemporary accounts of Turner, excerpts from Douglass's narrative, pictorial representations of fugitive slaves, political cartoons in re the Wilmot Proviso/Missouri Compromise etc.