Abstract

Seeks to correct the "sanitzed and stilted view of Emerson" that prevailed among Emerson's Brahmin friends and still dominates much Whitman criticism, and argues that Emerson and Whitman share a belief in "the body and the senses" as "essential elements of human nature"; using Norman O. Brown's theories, goes on to posit that for Emerson and Whitman "one of the primary drives of Eros . . . is desire for union with the world, with the natural environment," and that both writers sought a "sensual language" to express this desire: "For both Emerson and Whitman, humanity must literally come to its senses, in word and deed."

How to Cite:

Gougeon, L., (2006) “Emerson, Whitman, and Eros”, Walt Whitman Quarterly Review 23(3/4), 126-146. doi: https://doi.org/10.13008/2153-3695.1797

Rights: Copyright © 2006 Len Gougeon