Marti and Dario 6/21/14

          Walt Whitman is one of the most famous American poets of all time, but his influence reached well beyond the borders of America and even the bounds of the English language. His influence on Latin American Spanish-speaking poets, for example, can be clearly seen in the works of both Jose Marti and Ruben Dario.

            Marti’s “I Am an Honest Man” reads almost like it was written by Whitman himself (when translated). Marti’s use of the first-person narrative style, as well as his exploration of self mirrors closely Whitman’s style and content in the latter’s “Song of Myself.” Like Whitman, who writes “I am the poet of the Soul,” (Whitman 650), Marti writes, “before I die I wish / to fling my verses from my soul,” (Marti 681). In each case, the poet claims to be divulging the contents of the soul through his poetry.

            Likewise, Ruben Dario shows the influences of Whitman in his poetry, especially as it pertains to nature. In “Blazon” Dario admires the beauty of an Olympic swan, comparing the bird to sublime architecture, fine linen and beautiful flowers (Dario 692). In “Song of Myself” we see similar descriptions and appreciation of animals from Whitman, who says he “looks at them long” in admiration (Whitman 651). As Dario described a swan in loving detail, so Whitman paints a picture of a “gigantic beauty of a stallion” (652) in his own poem.

            Imitation is said to be the highest form of flattery, and if that is the case Dario and Marti are engaged in their own brands of hero worship as they emulate Whitman in their own work.

Works Cited

Dario, Ruben. “Blazen.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Third ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton, 2013. 692. Print.

Marti, Jose. “I Am An Honest Man.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Third ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton, 2013. 681. Print.

Whitman, Walt. "Song of Myself." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Third ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton, 2013. 648-653. Print.