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Whitman, a Transcendentalist
Christy Loy
Prairie Central High School
Summer 2006
Library of Congress, Manuscript Division,
Thomas Biggs Harned Walt Whitman Collection.
Walt Whitman was the father of modern poetry in that he wrote poetry about the common
man and used free verse. He was also a devotee of the Transcendental movement brought
to America by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This lesson will help students understand the
poetry of Whitman and the poet’s convictions as they relate to Transcendentalism. (Note:
This lesson assumes that students have already studied transcendentalism and some
works of Ralph Waldo Emerson.)
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview Back to Navigation Bar
Objectives Students will:
understand and apply literary terms (free verse,
alliteration, repetition) to Walt Whitman’s poems “I
Hear America Singing” and “What is the Grass”
analyze and interpret the poems of Whitman to find
the themes
identify characteristics of transcendentalism in
Whitman’s poems
compose a poem using literary devices and
transcendental characteristics
Recommended time frame 2 (90-minute) blocks
Grade level 11th
Curriculum fit Language Arts
Materials Copies of the poems “I Hear America Singing” and
“What is the Grass” by Walt Whitman (Note: By
clicking on the “I Hear America Singing” link, you
will be able to not only see but hear the poem being
read as well as find other links to Whitman materials
at the Library of Congress.)
Study guide over Whitman and “I Hear America
Singing”
Photocopied page of Transcendental characteristics
(see handouts below)
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Photocopied packets (one per team) of all primary
resources (see resource map below)
Photocopied “Clue Diagram” titled “Walt Whitman
Writings and His Butterfly” (see handouts)
Rubric for student-created poetry (see handouts)
Teacher-created exemplar of poem (See handouts)
PowerPoint on Transcendentalism
Illinois State Learning Standards Back to Navigation Bar
Language Arts:
GOAL 2: Read and understand literature
representative of various societies, eras and ideas.
2.A.4a Analyze and evaluate the effective use of
literary techniques (e.g., figurative language,
allusion, dialogue, description, symbolism, word
choice, dialect) in classic and contemporary
literature representing a variety of forms and media.
2.A.5d Evaluate the influence of historical context
on form, style and point of view for a variety of
literary works.
2.B.5a Analyze and express an interpretation of a
literary work.
2.B.5b Apply knowledge gained from literature as a
means of understanding contemporary and historical
economic, social and political issues and
perspectives.
GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of
purposes.
3.A.5 Produce grammatically correct documents
using standard manuscript specifications for a
variety of purposes and audiences.
Procedures Back to Navigation Bar
Day One:
Introduce the life of Walt Whitman with a brief
lecture or have a student who has researched this
author present his or her biography.
Read or play an audiotape of “What is the Grass,” a
poem by Walt Whitman, and model how to analyze
a poem. Students should have a copy of this poem to
view as well.
Hand out the study guide for “I Hear America
Singing” by Walt Whitman and have students in
teams work together to answer the questions.
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
When teams are finished, ask each team to share a
few answers so that all students have the correct
answers.
At the end of the discussion, lead students through a
series of oral questions to discover that Whitman
was a transcendentalist like Ralph Waldo Emerson,
whom they have already studied. (Suggested
questions: Are all the workers happy? Are workers
doing their “own thing”? Are they all connected as
they sing “carols”? What philosophy does this
remind you of that you have already studied?)
Review the characteristics of transcendentalism that
students have studied by showing the PowerPoint on
Transcendentalism.
Hand out a graphic organizer of the characteristics
of transcendentalism, one packet of photocopied and
enlarged primary resources (copy, enlarge, and paste
items from the resource map below) to each team,
and a “Clue Diagram” titled “Walt Whitman
Writings and His Butterfly.”
Teams will work together to the end of the period
analyzing the primary resources, filling in the clue
diagram, and completing a paragraph summarizing
the findings.
Day Two:
Students will rejoin their teams and continue to
analyze the primary resources and complete the
analysis worksheets.
Students will read their paragraphs they composed at
the bottom of the clue diagram to the class as a
review and as a lead in to the culminating exercise.
Announce that students will now create a poem that
reveals at least one characteristic of
transcendentalism, includes the literary devices of
alliteration and repetition, and is an example of free
verse in the Whitman style.
Hand out and discuss the rubric so that students will
see how they will be scored. (See rubric below)
Read a teacher-created exemplar. Write one
yourself or feel free to use the poem in the handout
section titled “A Mother’s Song.”
Students will present their poems to the class and
turn in to the teacher for grading.
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar
The teacher will informally evaluate student
understanding of the poetry analysis process during
a class discussion of the poem “What is the Grass”
by Whitman.
Students will informally evaluate their answers to a
study guide over Whitman and the poem “I Hear
America Singing” in a collaborative effort among
team members and then as a class.
Using a rubric, the teacher will formally evaluate the
poem students composed in their teams.
Extension Back to Navigation Bar
Students may draw a picture or find clipart to
accompany their poems.
Students may write an individual poem that reflects
their personal philosophy as opposed to
transcendentalism but retains the style and literary
device requirements. The original rubric found
below may be used by removing the requirement for
transcendental characteristics.
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
Back to Navigation Bar
Image/Resource Description Citation URL
LC #220 Library of http://memory.loc.
Whitman's Congress, gov/ammem/colle
Cardboard Manuscript ctions/whitman/bu
Butterfly Division, Thomas tterfly.html
Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
Poet at Work: Library of http://memory.loc.
Walt Whitman. ca. Congress, gov/ammem/colle
1877-1883. Manuscript ctions/whitman/in
Division, Thomas dex.html
Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
Notebook LC #80 Library of http://memory.loc.
"Earliest" Congress, gov/ammem/ndlpe
Notebook Manuscript du/collections/ww
(Holloway No.1), Division, Thomas /thinking.html
1847, page 25. Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman Walt Whitman
Notebooks, 1847- Collection.
1860s
Ralph Waldo Ralph Waldo http://www.loc.go
Emerson (1803- Emerson (1803- v/exhibits/treasure
1882) to Walt 1882) to Walt s/whitman-
Whitman (1819- Whitman (1819- leavesofgrass.html
1892) 1892), #ww0017
Transcription July 21,1855
Page 2
Holograph letter
Manuscript
Division (17),
Library of
Congress.
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Poet at Work: Front Cover, http://memory.loc.
Walt Whitman Library of gov/cgi-
Notebooks 1850s- Congress, bin/ampage?collId
1860s Home Page Manuscript =whitman&fileNa
Notebook LC Division, Thomas me=wwhit080.dat
a&recNum=0
#80 Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
Poet at Work: Image 75, http://memory.loc.
Walt Whitman Library of gov/cgi-
Notebooks 1850s- Congress, bin/ampage?collId
1860s, Notebook Manuscript =whitman&fileNa
LC #9P 75 Division, Thomas me=wwhit094.dat
Biggs Harned a&recNum=96
Walt Whitman
Collection.
Poet at Work: Image 200, http://memory.loc.
Walt Whitman Library of gov/cgi-
Notebooks 1850s- Congress, bin/ampage?collId
1860s Manuscript =whitman&fileNa
Notebook LC #94 Division, Thomas me=wwhit094.dat
P 200 a&recNum=223
Biggs Harned
Walt Whitman
Collection.
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Rubric
Back to Navigation Bar
Name________________________ Block______
Poetry Rubric for student-written “Whitmanesque” poem
Poetry Novice Apprentice Veteran Master Score
Unfocused; Well focused
Some focus, Captivates
Ability to author seems and interests
but lacks and involves
captivate the unsure of reader
continuity reader deeply.
reader direction throughout.
(3-4 pts.) (7-8 pts)
(1-2 pts.) (5-6 pts)
Uses literary Vivid, strong
Difficult to Some use of Clear use of
devices use of several
find use of literary some literary
(must include literary
any devices devices devices
alliteration, devices
(1-3 pts) (4-6 pts) (7-9 pts)
repetition) 10-12 pts)
Does not
Incorporates Incorporates Incorporates
Use of incorporate
1 2 3
transcendental characteristics
characteristic characteristics characteristics
characteristics
(3-4 pts) (5-6 pts) (7-8 pts)
(1-2 pts)
Punctuation
Some Punctuation enhances
Arbitrary
meaningful meaningful conveyance of
Punctuation punctuation
punctuation throughout thoughts and
(1-2 pts)
(3-4 pts) (4-5 pts) images
(5-6 pts)
Only one
Form No rhyming
Lines rhyme Some Rhyme accidental
(free verse) lines
rhyme
Poetry rubric adapted from: http://www.eop.mu.edu/greg/Sample_Poetry_Rubric.html
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Handouts
Back to Navigation Bar
NAME____________________________ BLOCK____
WALT WHITMAN “I HEAR AMERICA SINGING” STUDY GUIDE
Define the following literary terms:
1. Define free verse
2. Define alliteration
3. Give an example of alliteration from the poem:
4. Define repetition
5. Give an example of repetition from the poem:
“I HEAR AMERICA SINGING”
6. In general, most poetry written prior to Whitman’s day dealt with idealized characters or extraordinary
heroes. What kinds of people did Whitman choose to portray?
7. - 10. List four workers and what they are doing as they sing.
a.
b.
c.
d.
11. What phrase does Whitman use to indicate these separate individuals are part of a united group? (think
in terms of a musical group)
12. Define blithe
13. Define robust
14. What is the mood of this poem?
15. How is Whitman’s poetry different from traditional poetry?
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Clue Diagram
NAME(S)_____________________________________________________________________ BLOCK_________
WALT WHITMAN WRITINGS AND HIS BUTTERFLY
(These original documents reside in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.)
The following excerpts from Whitman’s notebooks plus his butterfly should give you clues that he was a follower of
Emerson and the philosophy of transcendentalism. After viewing your packet of primary resources from the Library
of Congress, explain how each piece provides a clue and enter your findings in the appropriate box below. Then write
a paragraph summarizing your finding in the box at the bottom of the page.
Emerson’s letter to Whitman Whitman’s Notebook #80, p. 25 Whitman’s Notebook #9, p. 75
Whitman’s Notebook #94, p.200 Whitman’s Cardboard Butterfly
Write a paragraph summarizing your findings here:
CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANSCENDENTALISM
INDIVIDUALISM:
Do what is right for you. Don’t follow the crowd.
BELIEF IN YOURSELF:
Be true to one’s own inner perception or intuition; hold on to your beliefs because they are right
for you even if others disagree.
MAN, UNIVERSE AND NATURE ARE ONE:
Emerson called it the Oversoul. It can be a guide to higher understanding; nature is truth
and symbolizes God or the inner life of human beings.
OPTIMISM:
All is good; evil is an illusion.
UNLIMITED POTENTIAL:
Each individual should set high goals to improve.
TEACHER-CREATED EXEMPLAR
The Mother’s Song
Everyone knows that my life’s joys
Are wrapped up in my good girl and shining son
Little Angie and little Steven
Fulfill my world’s whimsy and want
I toil for long so that they can play
I carry burdens so they may remain
Children for a very long while
Knowing little but the sun and their shine
I want them to learn and discover
But don’t want pain to surrender
To these children, my dears
Oh, how I want to hold them close always
Thus, when my Angie does cry
Or when my Steven does frown
I am cut quickly to my soul
Sad that they are learning the world
While I want my children to laugh
I hope they will soon begin
To see that I sing my life only for them
For my good girl and my shining son.
