Walt Whitman: Inside the Journal

Step One:

"President-elect"
"I shall know if there is anything in you, liberated"
"Does the Queen of England represent a thousand years? And the Queen of Spain a thousand years?"
"Ships of liberate, blow mad winds!"
"Come show we wide sea what you are made of"
"Ship of the world- ship of humanity"
"Ship of the hope of the world"
"The Bohemian"
Several sketches- heart with knife, old man, etc.
Lots of lines crossed out or have question marks next to them

Whitman's journal tells us a lot about his thought process when he was creating his poems.  He was very careful and deliberate with the words he chose.  From the words I could identify I can tell that he really wrote to encourage the people and give them hope.  He's urging them to show the world exactly who they are.  The quote "Come show we wide sea what you are made of" seems to encourage the people and tries to build up their confidence a little bit it.  When I read the quote about the Queens I wonder if he has something against some forms of authority.  Maybe not necessarily against them, but I definitely feel like he is writing more for the common man.  Through the quote " I shall know if there is anything in you" I can tell that  he is a very careful observer of people and his surroundings.  He wants to write about life in the way that he sees it.  He wants to make an impact on his readers and provoke an emotion.

Step Two:
-Whitman wrote just little notes to himself (addresses, etc.)
-worked as a nurse
-"deep latent sadness"
-Created conversation between himself and Abraham Lincoln
-Library of Congress stamp. Enhances the fabricated conversation.  Plays into the fantasy/story
-Four sided God- Includes Satan and God. Good and Evil. Related to Civil War?
-lots of poems took real dedication. Several years it seems.
-wrote about slavery
-"libertad
-"is all lost?" Whitman responds to this question.
-Portrays Lincoln as a captain of a ship
-"Why now I shall see what the old ship is made of. Any body can sail with a fair wind, or a smooth sea"
-Change from calm to dangerous sea
-"hovering “black clouds … of death”
-"I welcome the menace – I welcome thee with joy"
-Whitman didn't draw pics
-Sketch of Whitman
-harp picture
-"The last war"

I definitely wasn't getting everything when I read the original text.  The transcriptions really helped to provide some context.  I think the topics that Whitman talk about are extremely significant.  He talks about politics, slavery, and religion.  All subjects that are quite controversial.  Whitman cares a lot about America and the people of America.  He isn't afraid to make his opinion know.  He believes that there can be a better version of America possible in the future, but hardships must be encountered first.  I think Whitman likes to be challenged.  He welcomes a looming storm.  He says "I welcome the menace- I welcome thee with joy".  Storms enhance weaknesses that need to be improved.  Storms can lead to new beginnings.  Whitman wants peace and equality.  I think the conversation he creates with Abraham Lincoln is also interesting.  It reminds me of the question "If you could invite anyone you wanted to dinner, who would you chose?" question.  His choice of creating the conversation between himself and Abraham Lincoln reveals that he cares about his country and wants the oppurtunity to impact/better it in some way.