I. Comparison: Whitman vs. Dickinson

1. Similarities:

(1) Thematically, they both extolled, in their different ways, an emergent America, its expansion, its individualism and its Americanness, their poetry being part of “American Renaissance”.

(2) Technically, they both added to the literary independence of the new nation by breaking free of the convention of the iambic pentameter and exhibiting a freedom in form unknown before: they were pioneers in American poetry.

2. differences:

(1) Whitman seems to keep his eye on society at large; Dickinson explores the inner life of the individual.

(2) Whereas Whitman is “national” in his outlook, Dickinson is “regional”.

(3) Dickinson has the “catalogue technique” (direct, simple style) which Whitman doesn’t have.