should be held. Thus, Whitman proposed that the formalities of traditional poetry resulted in the true nature of the poem being lost to a kind of superficial elegance. To Whitman, evidence of this postulate could be found in the general idea of what was considered a standard theme in these ornamental poems. These themes often seemed as removed from the everyday reader as the decorative language and structure with which they were presented. Whitman found the quality of romanticism in previous literary distasteful because the everyday reader could not identify with the theme as it applied to his or her own life. Nor could the reader relate to the characters, which tended to be one-dimensional (an infallible hero, an evil villain, or a helpless maiden). This last consequence led Whitman to rebel against tradition. Whitman sought not to cloud his writings with such adornments. Rather, he was concerned with the "qualities of a living and full-blooded man, amativeness, pride, adhesiveness, curiosity, yearning for immortality, joyousness and sometimes uncertainty." In other words, Whitman believed in a realistic exploration of the human spirit through his own living poetry. Consequently, if Whitman had conformed to the traditional style of writing, he could not have achieved his living poetry.Yet, given the fact that Whitman avoided this formal style, the question still remains how Whitman conveyed his themes with his divine style. This question can be answered by looking at a Whitman poem. Take for example, On the Beach at Night. This poem deals with the theme of death and the life that must carry on in the face of it. Whitman takes yet another stance on this recurring theme in Leaves of Grass by envisioning death as "ravening clouds, the burial clouds, in black masses spreading," (Line 5). In this way death can be observed by a father and daughter, themselves symbolic, standing on the shore. To elaborate, the small child co...
