Looking for a Long, White Beard

YOU rock, fauxredhead. Great post. Thanks for gently suggesting I am in your parents’ generation…

As Kim was saying on Saturday, Whitman’s concern for the working classes actually did affect his experience in the war also. Remember how he lauds those who, like his brother George, rise up through the ranks because of their bravery and intelligence vs. being commissioned officers because they are well-connected? And he disapproves of allowing men to buy themselves out of service ($300, cheaper than in Vietnam but….). His primary interest is in honoring and caring for the common soldier (possibly illiterate, poor, far from home, hungry).

Wow…

I just loved your article. By chronology and geography (raised at the Jersey shore) I am a Springsteen fan ~ in my heart I am a Whitman fan. Thanks for this… it makes my day!

The celebration of America has shifted from victories attributable to manufacturing efficiency to victories attributable to the uniquely American creative genius and entrepreneurial spirit.

This “Looking for Whitman” experiment i a great example of our capacity for creativity applied in the real world of education! Keep up the good work!

LOVE LOVE LOVE it. What a great article, never would have thought about that sort of juxtaposition. If the Boss is our parents generation, who is our Walt? Any guesses? T.I.?” …You can have whatever you liiiiike…” I kid. Really.

@Virginia I was thinking about this when I was writing the post…I was gonna say Jay-Z but I’m not really sure. We need to open this up to the class I think.

@Dr. Scanlon I was merely saying that I didn’t think I could say “our generation” since Bruce was, after all, making hits well before I was born. You can read that however you like.
Your comment goes back to me wishing that Smith had talked more about Whitman’s war poetry, because I think he would have found a lot of similarities there to Springsteen’s lyrics. Smith has a valid point about Whitman’s earlier works, but, as we have been discussing in class, Whitman’s writing changed from the war. Had Smith gone on to evaluate those, I think he would have given Whitman a bit more credibility.

@Mark I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Also, I think I was still emotional from Saturday, as the Springsteen lyrics quoted in the article kept making me cry 0_o

I love this comparison! An interesting extra parallel between them that you mentioned is Springsteen’s and Whitman’s interest in portraying war in their lifetimes. They both remain somewhat problematic with me inasmuch as they appropriate soldiers’ voices for the songs/poems, since neither was actually involved in the battles they discuss. This, I suppose, is a pretty common thread through both of their works as they write pieces speculating about such things as witnessing the death of Lincoln and recovering as a vet. I wonder if we could trace the reputation of Springsteen and many other artists/writers as representative of the American people back to Whitman. Whitman, the first American author?

[…] Preface to this blog: I got a little off-topic. Also, reference to Bruce Springsteen may seem out of the blue if you haven’t read my previous post on an article I read comparing Walt to the Boss, which can be found here. […]

Erin I think this may be one of my favorite posts throughout the collective project. Mainly, because I love Springsteen and I’ve actually considered the comparisons between these two. A really wonderful article and a great post on your behalf! I commented here after viewing your most recent article.

Also, haven’t check through yet but are you the Erin from the Levis Go Forth site? If so I’ve spoken with you on there!

I am the Erin from the Go Forth site! Man I didn’t know how many Springsteen fans were involved in this project…

Erin your article reference has helped to flesh out my ideas for my final project here in Camden. I’d been debating on how much of Whitman was really him and advertising and an American icon and found that a lot of the things he did with regard to that met up with Springsteen. The idea that these figures throughout American history are icons partially out of their work but also out of promotion on their own part. It’s almost like the tall tales of America! Just wanted to let you know and say thanks!