Whitmans 1855 Preface to Leaves of Grass (Book Review Sample)

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Whitman’s 1855 Preface to Leaves of Grass
In The Whitman’s 1855 Preface to Leaves of Grass, Whitman calls for nationalism in literature. It is for this reason that Whitman framed the "Preface to Leaves of Grass" as a literary revolution, which is dedicated to emancipating the Americans from the feudal tradition that many poets did not maintain. Whitman’s targeted the continued significance on the American scene of British conventionalisms.
Whitmans feels that Americans need nationalism in literature drawn to a new nation’s expansive vistas, exihilaring presence and broad-open future. His core determination was to interchange convectional artistic values for an autonomous national literature, promulgated by a work of free verse that absolutely abandoned the well-worn terrain of British letters (Baym, 1007). His case for an independent national literature came a time when America was being divided over states rights and slavery. Thus, he focused on the international scene to show the naivety of the Americans readers so as to embrace national unity. Nevertheless, nationalism was his main objective that was directed to the reader.
According to Whitmans , other poets have the role to embrace cohesive national literature that unites the people rather than divide Americans (Baym, 1008). It is for this reason that he refrained from the sectionalist division between the free states and slave, which he considered to be embraced by poet’s antagonism toward the transatlantic English letters.
In my opinion, the "Leaves of Grass" show the creation of a ...