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Free Verse Autobiography And Walt Whitman

By Christopher West


One of the best examples of an individual whom has written a memoir in a poetic style is that of Walt Whitman. For, Whitman tells his life store in the piece "Songs of Myself, " a Free Verse Autobiography which the author edited and revised many times over during the course of life. While a stand alone piece, the piece was also included in the popular collection, "Leaves of Grass."

Poets such as Anne Sexton, John Lowell, Sylvia Plath and others began writing much darker pieces. Whereas, the Beat Generation gave way to poets such as Jack Kerouac who often wrote about experiences on the road, and Allen Ginsberg whose focus was more on sexual matters and other taboos.

Walt Whitman passed away in 1892, but not before leaving quite a legacy. In fact, the writer continued to edit "Songs of Myself, " well into the mid-1800s. After which, the final version was completed in 1881. Later, the name of the book was changed to "Poem of Walt Whitman, An American, " and became more of a memoir than a poetry book.

Free verse can be a delightful style of poetry. In most cases, those using the style today use a great deal of metaphor. Whereas, others still work with other styles such as rhyme and sonnets. Whatever the case, poets are often advised to share the work at poetry readings and slams around the world. While poetry slams can be fun and entertaining, competition is often fierce.

The extended free verse which Whitman included in most works rocked the established literary foundation. For, poetry originally was focused on rhyme. Then, when poets such as Whitman and others started using free verse, whether in autobiographies or story telling, the industry forever changed. In fact, while rhyme is still present in a number of poetry publications, it is often frowned against at many open-mics and featured readings in this day and age.

One of the best ways to experience different styles of readers and writings is to visit a local reading. Whether attending a book or poetry reading, the experience can often be an insightful one. For, not only will one most likely to get to meet and talk with the poets and writers, there is also a lot that can be learned in doing so.

While there are local readings, there are also International poetry festivals where individuals come from around the world to read and attend workshops. One of the largest is that of the Austin International Poetry Festival which takes place in Austin each April. As such, those interested in learning more about the different styles can often benefit greatly from attending this type festival.

Free verse can often be great when read at poetry readings, though slams often require tougher topics with more theatrical performances. For, slams are quite competitive with 1s, 2nd and 3rd place generally taking home cash prizes. In addition, those whom rate high over the course of a season are often invited to be part of a city slam team at an annual poetry slam conference and festival.




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