Teaching Whitman’s Poems
Although I would be open to exploring some facets of sexuality expressed in Whitman’s poems, as a Christian educator, my approach to teaching Whitman would be based on a Biblical worldview. I think that much can be gleaned from Whitman’s works like love and death in “Scented Herbage,” love and growth in “Singing,” and humanity’s inherent value in “No Labor-Saving Machine,” so I would be hesitant to avoid Whitman altogether.
I do not think his sexuality and the references to it negates the importance of his works, so with that in mind I think I would be inclined to continue to approach teaching Whitman. In younger classes I might omit the sexual nature of the poems completely, but with junior and senior classes I might acknowledge the references and allow the biography of the poet to impact the students’ interpretations of the works. There is so much more to be discussed, though.
Whitman’s extreme anti-commoner origin poses an interesting topic for classes. Through the Biblical lens, those classes would benefit from a historical approach to Whitman’s works as it pertains to corruption. Reynolds writes, "With the corruption and political collapse of the fifties, however, his veneration for entrenched rulers disappeared and his respect for common people increased exponentially." This approach to Whitman would allow for a deeper discussion regarding sin and corruption, how we as broken people approach politics, as well as where our value as “common people” originates.
I strongly disagree with the humanist teaching that through literature and education alone we as people can better ourselves, but I do think that literature and art can serve as a catalyst for compassion. Whitman’s character progression that led to the inclusiveness demonstrated in “Song of Myself” would provide my students with an opportunity to discuss how through Jesus’s example of love, they can use literature and art to express the life-changing and character-changing benefits of striving to live by Jesus’s example, and how they might see a shift in their own character.
Another aspect of Whitman that would be useful to explore, more useful than his sexuality, is his assertion that the body and soul are in need of union. This idea of reconciling body and soul goes against Biblical teaching that sinners must deny their flesh to be one in the Spirit. Tackling this topic would provide a much more rich discussion. Overall, Whitman’s sexuality has very little bearing on the plethora of conversations to be had in the classroom, and as he continues to be at the forefront of American literature, discussing his literary works will continue to be pertinent.
How would you approach sexuality, or would you leave it out altogether? Do we lose anything if we separate the art from the artist? Do you have a favorite work by Whitman?
I reference David S Reynolds’s article “Politics and Poetry: Whitman's Leaves of Grass and the Social Crisis of the 1850s.” Its an interesting read as well.
