A Glimpse through Whitman's Notebooks

When I first looked through Walt Whitman's notebook, it just looked like a bunch of scribbles and ideas scattered across the pages.  I wasn't sure how well I would be able to read and understand it.  There were still a few words that I couldn't make out, but when I really tried to, I could actually read most of it.  I don't know how much I understood from reading it, though.  Despite that, I could grasp the main ideas of what Whitman was writing about.  I could read the beginning where he wrote that it was a dialogue with Abraham Lincoln.  Also, I could tell his writing was very deep and thought-provoking, like how he brings up virtue and philosophy.  In addition, he talks a lot of about the sea and ships.  I also noticed he uses a lot of question marks within the pages, and his syntax is really interesting.  Furthermore, the images are fascinating.  They are of a man, and in two of the drawings, I think the addition of the tall hat was a unique touch.  I could see how the first drawing was a realistic one, but then it became less realistic and more like a cartoon as the drawings continued.  The last image stands out too, because it appears to be somewhat like a skeleton with a sword through it's chest.  

Even though I haven't read his poems yet, I think these journals reveal some unique aspects of Whitman's writing and his inner thoughts.  I think the images are significant to him and how he views the world.  Also,  his deep, fascinating writing within these journals are significant to the thoughts he expresses in his poems.  I think the way he uses imagery is really cool along with his strong use of diction.  I also think the way he crosses some things out and writes in questions reveal his inner thoughts.  It's like he questions the universe, his nation and is searching for information or perhaps a solution.  He also mentions the queens of Spain and England and uses the Spanish word for liberty, which may reveal his interest in the rest of the world.  I got the sense that he was very intelligent and insightful by the way he wrote.

As I read about what Whitman's notebook actually says and why, I could understand more about his thoughts and beliefs.  I got a better sense at how much Whitman looked up to Lincoln in his time, and viewed him as a hero.  I also was then able to understand what he was saying about religion, and how they reflect his thoughts on the Civil War and the divide in the country.  Continuing on, I thought the words he added or crossed out were even more significant than I originally thought, because they are able to show his original thoughts and then how they develop and change to create new meanings.  For example, his insertion of the word 'perhaps' in front of "I shall see the crash" alters the phrase so people interpret it differently.  I was also better able to understand his views of the nation with reference to the calm sea, which switches to the rough waters and "clouds of death."  

Furthermore, I learned about some of the historical events going on that show in his writing, like how the publishers went bankrupt.  The harsh times that he went through during that time are reflected in these writings.  He was able to foreshadow events in the nation, and understand the importance of the events which would happen, because they would deeply affect the future.  For instance, there is a lot of weight behind the words, "Ship of the hope of the world, ship of promise."  The images also made more sense than before.  The man portrayed is Walt Whitman himself, and I liked how the images are described as becoming "more and more caricaturish."  Lastly, Walt mentions the last war and George Washington, which shows his interest in history and he seems to relate old events to the events going on during his own time.