Comments for Gary's Whitmanic Foray

Comment on Whitmanic Fireman by garyrichards

garyrichards — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:02:47 +0000

Surely the costume was to differentiate and identify the “professionals” on the scene of crisis, as with our contemporary costumes for police, doctors, and so forth, but there is certainly a doleful look about the infantilized Sutherland here, all of which undercuts the Whitmanic heroism and idealization.

Comment on Whitman’s Procreative Men and Women by garyrichards

garyrichards — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:54:18 +0000

Thanks, both Sams, for responding. I always fret that these images may be too tangential to be productive to discussion, but perhaps they’re useful after all. S-words Sam, you elegantly phrase how this image and others may provide a reminder of the very embodiment in which Whitman is so invested.

Tallersam Sam, I suspect geography was certainly a factor in differentiating procreative patterns, but some upper-middle-class Northern families would have kept up the high patterns of reproduction as a means of establishing that they had the economic power to support all those persons. But class and religion may have had as much to do with variations as region. Recall, say, Willa Cather’s Catholic Midwest and its families’ large numbers or Anzia Yezierska’s turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrant families of New York City and their large numbers. These repressentations are fictional yet rooted in historical accuracy.

Comment on Whitman’s Procreative Men and Women by s-words

s-words — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:21:31 +0000

Interesting how that historical context adds greater heft and clarity to Whitman’s infinitely open, and consequently rather abstract, embrace of “mothers and the mothers of mothers, …children and the begetters of children” (33). His phrasing always seemed to encompass many generations through one generation’s relative relationship to the rest, but this image reminds us of how much flesh and bone he meant to spread his arms across.

Comment on Whitmanic Fireman by s-words

s-words — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:05:27 +0000

I wonder whether the “Rescue” bib served a helpful function, or if it was simply a component of the fireman’s standard “formal-wear,” designed to give the impression of a drab, baggy infant.

Comment on Whitmanic Fireman by garyrichards

garyrichards — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:11:38 +0000

Are you seeing a trend in my gene pool? We perhaps embody the barbaric paunch rather than sound the barbaric yawp. I’ll try to post a hottie next time … ’cause, you know, it’s really cool to sexually objectify dead people who are related to you.

Comment on Whitmanic Fireman by brady

brady — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:12:29 +0000

It is a cool photo, though I have to admit, “the play of masculine muscle” wasn’t a phrase that positively jumped into my mind when I saw it. 😉

Comment on Whitman’s Procreative Men and Women by tallersam

tallersam — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:07:58 +0000

Seeing as how my grandparents just finished a whirlwind weekend visit, this ancestry thing is fresh on my mind. My mere 8 first cousins makes me feel pretty insignificant compared to Rachel White (imagine the family birthdays parties!).
More on-topic, it would be interesting to see how the birth rate varied, depending on the part of the country. The North-South difference intrigues me; since the north was more industrialized, I would guess that the birthrate there would be lower? I wonder what the ancestries of those with northern roots would look like.
My personal American roots only extend back as far as the early twentieth century, as all my great-greats arrived around then (either from Germany or Canada).

Comment on Whitmanic Fireman by jpike1

jpike1 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:48:42 +0000

What a great photograph! Those lines also stood out to me as I was reading the poem, so it is great to see an actual picture related to the description Whitman is conveying.

Comment on Sooo Not Funny by garyrichards

garyrichards — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:42:34 +0000

Oh, Allison, you have no idea. Well, maybe an inkling of an idea.

Comment on Sooo Not Funny by s-words

s-words — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:52:55 +0000

When “the look of the bay mare shames silliness out of” you, I guess you’re expected to laugh backwards.