Life_Experiences_And_The_Effects_They_Have_On_Writings

Life Experiences And The Effects They Have On Writings Life Experiences and the Effects they have on Writings Disciples of New Criticism claim that an author and their background have no bearing on the interpretations of the author’s work. Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes are just two examples, of many, why New Criticism should be disputed. The works of Whitman and Hughes are filled with experiences from their pasts that can be found both directly and indirectly in their poems. Were it not for the experiences that these two authors had during their lives many, if not all, of the passion that they put into their poetry would have been lost or compromised. In “Cavalry Crossing a Ford” Walt Whitman draws on many life experiences that provide both realism and conviction to the poem. The poem indicates that a group of Northern soldiers are crossing a stream after a victorious battle during the Civil War. Whitman is able to give an accurate description of these events because during the war “Whitman was overcome with the carnage he beheld and settled in Washington, D.C., where for the duration of the war he ministered without pay to sick and wounded soldiers” (Olsen-Smith). “Cavalry Crossing a Ford” is hughes, whitman, poem, lines, life, mulatto, father, two, being, about, war, mother, lives, works, white, while, values, soldiers, ford, crossing, cross, child, black, been, because, north, langston, experiences, change, cavalry, both, background, writes, write