Something about Whitman

STEP 1) 

The first thing I notice is that this thing is a pain to read.  The handwriting is sloppy and there is almost no organization to it, aside from a page break between complete thoughts.  This suggests that he used this notebook to write down his thoughts as he experienced them, hinting at his idea that experiences are more valuable than formal schooling.  I was also able to read that somewhere in there he mentioned A. Lincoln.  This reflects his political views and also places the notebook into historical context around Lincoln's presidency.  My impressions of Whitman's notebook is that it is a valuable resource to peer into the mind of Whitman as he stored his thoughts and experiences in the pages.

STEP 2) 

After viewing the notes I think it is important to discuss the imaginary dialogue with Lincoln.  It is on a page titled "Brochure" and briefly states an idea of two characters (featuring Honest Abe) and an imaginary conversation between them.  This is interesting because it is a way for Whitman to discuss his political views during a time of immense racial tension with the fact that it is a fictional conversation as a caveat.  Next is his views on religion.  It is unclear whether or not these views were intended to be included with the conversation with Lincoln, considering the fact that his notebook is disorganized and jumps around.  He talks about reconciling "two religions – platforms", possibly referring to the divide in the country during the time of his writing.  He is explaining that he doesn't fully agree with either side, but instead cares about the fate of the Union as a single country.  This idea is reinforced in his writing about "libertad", which means "liberty" in Spanish.  This notebook tells us that he despises slavery, but does not agree with abolitionists actions that could tear the nation apart.  After reading the notes, his notebook reveals his political views on Lincoln and Slavery which was the hot topic during the time it was written.