Whitman, Dickinson, Poe

Walt Whitman

The part of this video I enjoyed the most is the way to music was set up behind the words.  At first, the poem seems to start off very calm, as does the music.  Then, once the poem reaches its real meaningful words, the music becomes louder and more intense.  I also found it amazing that in 1855, Whitman published almost 800 copies of “Leaves of Grass” and only two dozen sold.  This is just another example of certain things, in this case a poem, being timeless.

Emily Dickinson

This is a very strange video.  Although it was a bit creepy, it did offer insight to the background or life of Emily Dickinson.  It also shared some thoughts on what influenced Emily Dickinson to write many of her poems, particularly when they discuss how many friends and families passed away in her life.  I felt that this video is a good starting point for anyone who is researching, or learning more about Emily Dickinson.

Edgar Allan Poe

Both Christopher Walken and James Earl Jones’s version of the Raven were good videos to watch.  Both men have voices that are classic and easily recognizable.  I personally enjoyed Walken’s version better.  The reason for this is that I thought the sounds of the wind blustering as Walken recited the poem made for a more gloomy and eerie picture.