Representing the Kosmos: The "Lyric Turn" in Whitman

Onno Oerlemans

doi:10.13008/2153-3695.1448

Essays

Representing the Kosmos: The "Lyric Turn" in Whitman

Abstract

Explores "the changing status of the major modes" of literature--here narrative and lyric--in the context of Whitman's oeuvre, focusing especially on "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" and "As I Ebb'd with the Ocean of Life" and defending the lyric against contemporary, pro-narrative arguments that see lyric modes as solipsistic; argues that "lyric reminds us where freedom may be found and why it matters."

Keywords:

How to Cite: Oerlemans, O. (1995) “Representing the Kosmos: The "Lyric Turn" in Whitman”, Walt Whitman Quarterly Review. 12(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.13008/2153-3695.1448