Name: ___________________________________ Period: ________ Date: _______________________________
Walt Whitman and the American Epic
As a literary genre, the epic poem has an ancient history, but as time has passed, changes have occurred and
cultural perspectives have changed. With changes in culture come changes in artistic outlook. Walt Whitman
greatly contributed to the modernization of the epic. Below, you will find qualities of epic poetry. Using the
excerpt from “Song of Myself”, examine Walt Whitman’s adaptation of the traditional qualities.
A. The American Epic: For each of the following characteristics, find an example from the poem and
explain the significance to Whitman’s meaning.
1. Serious/Worthy Subject
2. Elevated Style (refer to pages 424-25 in the text for information)
a. Diction
b. Anaphora
c. Onomatopoeia
d. Catalogues
e. Figurative Language
3. Hero
4. Connection to Others
5. Setting
6. Spirituality
7. Inspiration (muse)
8. In media res
9. Journey
B. Follow-up Questions:
1. Why is the epic genre appropriate for Walt Whitman’s subject matter?
2. How does Whitman use grass as a unifying element through the poem?
3. Why is free verse the appropriate structure for Whitman’s work? He essentially created the form. How does
it serve his purposes in terms of subject matter?
4. Walt Whitman’s work reflects the principles of Transcendentalism. Where in the text are Transcendentalist
values reflected?