Literature and writing

Nature, as seen and depicted by Walt Whitman in Leaves of bewray is long and sweeping in its grandeur, same a giant depiction screen, where he unloads scenes upon scenes of grand vistas in living color. If it were a theatrical performance, he would make lavish scenes of epic proportions majestic skies, billowing waves, golden field of grain extending to the horizon. They would be the exact opposite of the languid seascapes captured on canvass in Virginia Woolfs To the Lighthouse. Describing the sea, Whitman writesBehold, the sea itself,And on its limitless, heaving breast, the shipsSee, where their fresh sails, bellying in the wind, speckleThegreen and blue,See, dusky and undulating, the long pennants of corporation (33.30-37).To Whitman, nature perpetually calls attention unto itself, save man ordinarily ignores it or is not sensitive enough to perceive its charms. Thus, the poet continually exhorts the onlooker to see the beauty unfolding before his eyes. For him, a leaf of grass is no less than the journey work of the stars and that the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of promised land(31.1-8).As in theatre, the poet conjures images to create moods as would suit his purpose. Whitmans poems flood lamp with robustness and energy as he writes about the pioneers of a impudent nation leaving the sanctuary of their homes to tame the great frontiers. In the swear out he is overwhelmed by the magnificent beauty of the outdoors as sound as the great cities and industries built by mans labor.If his mediocre were a film screen, Whitman would come up with glorious takes of canyons and sunsets and deserts in Cinemascope, of buffalo herds grazing the plains, interspersed with the creaking wheels of industry. When Whitman hears America singing, the songs he hears are those of ready workmen as they go about their daily tasks.For him, America is one vast theatre with the American normal man as hero. For him, conduct consists of Victory, union, faith, identity, time,/ The non-water-soluble compacts, riches, mystery,/ eternal progress, the kosmos, and the modern-day reports. (Book II. 2.4) These are abstract terms, vague and incomprehensible, but the referee follows the thread of his thoughts when the poet writes about sturdy blacksmiths swinging their sledges, cheerful axemen, wielding all twenty-four hours their axes, and of how the ash writhes under the muscular arms of oarsmen on the lakes (33.39-43). For Walt, commonplace things in nature become the stuff of legend.Nature is likewise a common theme in a concert dance performance. Because no lines are spoken, the reference rely on the setting, the music, and the language of the bodies in motion. That there is no chat seems to enhance rather than detract from the performance, for the dancers themselves with their seemingly effortless leaps, twists and turns, their graceful silky motions tell the story no words are necessary.Sometime ago I had the opportunity to w atch a ballet performance at the Metropolitan Opera House. The experience was fascinating. It impressed on me the beauty of the clement luggage compartment in motion, so long immortalized in poem and marble, but more usually ignored.The stainless ballet Apollo, where the sun-god is offered the gifts of poetry, dance and music, began with the peg decked in black with haunting music in the background to create a somber mood. The ballerinas, clad in contrasting white, were seen distinctly on stage as they retold one of mythologys enduring tales.Jeu de Cartes was a modern ballet that featured poker hands, each being shuffled until the last poster became a royal flush. Modern and very lively, Jeu de Cartes was very entertaining.Petrouchka, a classic Russian ballet, made use of lavish costumes and contrivances and four changes of scene. Set in a Russian village, it made use of puppets and costumed characters.Watching a ballet performance makes one appreciate the tremendous work and r esources postulate to stage it. It also makes one realize how beautiful the human body is, how graceful its gestures, its subtle flowing and gliding motions, as it tries to mimic life or capture its essence, in the same way that an artist tries to conduct the colors of sunset into canvas, or a poet his ruminations about life into rhyme.The poet, like the ballet dancer, tells a story by the subtle use of words, of symbols, of everyday things that ring a bell in the readers mind, or strike a chord in his heart. The cast of a ballet and its creators also reach out to an audience by the use of apparent motion synchronized with music in the midst of an appropriate setting to narrow down mood. In both arts, appreciation and enjoyment are the just rewards. full treatment CITEDWhitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass.