Major Themes in Literary Works - Essay Example

Themes in Literary Works Whitman, in his poem "Song of Myself" focuses on praising the individual. According to him, a democratic nation comprised individuals that are unique, but equal. The opening of this poem triumphantly praises the individual: “I celebrate myself, and sing myself” (1). On the other hand, Whitman considers himself to be the voice of many people. He however, passes equal praises to some of the most exemplary people in history, including Abraham Lincoln, whom he thinks merit more praises, due to the important role they performed in society. This poem brings out the theme of individual and society. It can be seen that individuals, even though they have individual differences, are important, as these make up the society. Whitman in his poem also brings out the theme of love. This is mainly through the way he depicts the human body and the capacity for physical touch. For instance, Whitman notes that: “copulation is no more rank to me than death is” (521). Through copulation, humans experience togetherness, which is an aspect of sexual love. In the poem “I Sing the Body Electric,” Whitman explores the physical body in detail. In this poem, the theme of human condition is portrayed. Whitman first, praises both the female and male bodies, for their sacredness. He associates women to reproduction by considering them, “the gates of the body, and “the gates of the soul” (Web). On the other hand, the man is considered “a figure of power and action.” This way, it might also be argued that the theme of gender, culture, and power is evident in this poem. While the female gender is viewed as less powerful, the males are considered more powerful. In another poem, “A Woman Awaits Me,” Whitman celebrates his own existence, as well as the existence and importance of women in the society. In this poem, the theme of sexual love surfaces. Whitman argues that women are important to men. "A woman waits for me - she contains all, nothing is lacking,"(1). Whitman shows how women are capable of making existence to be meaningful. "Yet all would be lacking, if sex were lacking,"(2). Here, the poet shows that the aspect of sex is what ties importance to women, and which brings meaning to life. However, Whitman goes ahead to clarify that sex is important for both women and men, and for the present and future generations of humanity. "I am for you, and you are for me, not only for our own sake, but for other's sakes" (32). Therefore, in sex, there is found the future generations. In “City of Orgies,” Whitman brings up the theme of love, and love for a country. In this poem, Whitman praises New York City. Manhattan is a city that comprises people of different walks of life, and Whitman considers this city “illustrious.” However, he acknowledges the fact that it is the people, who live in the city, and not buildings and commerce, that make the city appealing. It is the love that the people in the city have, and the love that Whitman has for the city residents, which makes him like the city. The theme of love is also seen when Whitman notes that, “Behold This Swarthy Face,” came and kissed him “lightly on the lips with robust love….” (Whitman Web). The theme of love is also seen when Whitman thinks about other people in the world, and wishes to become attached to them the way he is to those in his city. He longs for brotherhood with other people in different countries, and claims that he envies the “brotherhood of lovers,” as well as those people that uphold love throughout their life period. The theme of social criticism unfolds clearly in the speech, "I've Been to the Mountaintop" by Martin Luther King Jr. In this speech, King addressed the need for social revolution in the country. This therefore, means that there were social evils during King’s time, which needed to be addressed, and the only redress could be through a social revolution. Martin criticized the fact that the colored people were living in poverty, neglect, and hurt, and had been in that condition for a long time. He identified and criticized some of the issues that resulted in the poor state of the colored people: “The issue is injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants who happen to be sanitation workers,” (King Web). In addition, King’s speech exhibits the theme of love, in this case, the love of God. Since he mainly focused on how the social evils, especially those directed toward the black community in America, he focused on ways through which these evils could be abated. King considered the fact that all people are equal, despite their race. He was also convinced that God loves all people equally, despite their race. Therefore, King argued for fair treatment of all people in America, regardless of whether they were white or black. He therefore, delegated his audience to preach the message of fairness and God’s love to those people that did not value the blacks: “"God sent us by here, to say to you that you're not treating his children right. And we've come by here to ask you to make the first item on your agenda fair treatment, where God's children are concerned” (King Web). In Virginia Woolf's “A Room of One's Own,” there is the theme of gender inequality. The narrator has put more emphasis on how the women in her society receive unequal treatment, as compared to men. In order to prove this, the narrator uses a female character named ‘Judith.’ Judith is portrayed as experiencing discrimination and inequality. Mainly, Judith has the same capabilities and talent, as her brother William. However, while William receives support and encouragement from their family, this is not the same case for Judith. Instead of receiving similar support from her family, Judith deemphasized and underestimated. Judith is forced to get engaged at a younger age, and commits suicide when her father forces her to get married. On the contrast, William is busy pursuing his dreams, which Judith too had the capability of achieving. The narrator argues that, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction” (Woolf Web). Here, Woolf argues that women need to be loosed by culture, in order for them to write good literary works. Culture has tied women to household chores, including taking care of their husbands and children. This way, women in society lack enough time to make money and have time for themselves, as compared to their male counterparts. “It would have been impossible, completely and entirely, for any woman to have written the plays of Shakespeare in the age of Shakespeare” (Woolf Web). This therefore, proves the narrator’s point that the unequal treatment of women in her time made it impossible for women to compete with men, as shown by the character, Judith. Works Cited King, Martin Luther Jr. “Martin Luther King's Final Speech: 'I've Been to the Mountaintop' – The Full Text.” Abc News, April 3, 1968. Web. Whitman, Walt. "Leaves of Grass (1891-92)." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. . Whitman, Walt, and M. J. Killingsworth. "1856: Poems of Sexuality and the Body." The Cambridge Introduction to Walt Whitman. 45. Print. Woolf, Virginia; A Room of One's Own. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. 1929. Web. Read More