Whitman i Grad

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Iz knjige: A Political Companion to Walt Whitman. Contributors: John E. Seery - Editor. Publisher: University Press of entuc!y. Place of publication: "e#in$ton% &.Publication year: '()).

CHAPTER 6Mass Merger: Whitman andBaudeaire! the M"dern #treet!and $em"%rati% Cuture

Marshall Berman

WALT WHITMAN AND CHARLES Baudelaire didnt know each others work and dont !uchsound like on

e another" But the# share certain dee$ $reoccu$ations that were shared %# &er# 'ewother writers in their ti!

es" Both addressed their readers in intensel# $ersonal and so!eti!escon'essional &oices" Both saw $oetr# as

an arena 'or takin( e)istential risks" Both wrote directl#a%out se)*and (ot in %i( trou%le 'or it" In the late tw

entieth centur# so!e o' their readersnoticed so!ethin( else" The# anointed %oth !en as +$oets o' the cit#,

who identi'ied dee$l# with$articular (reat cities*Baudelaires -aris Whit!ans New .ork*who called the

! +!# cit#, andwrote a%out the! with (reat de$th and $assion as i' their cities were $art o' their own 'lesh

"Both $oets ca!e o' a(e at a ti!e when their cities %ut also hundreds o' others around the worldwere (oin(

throu(h un$recedented s$ectacular (rowth" At 'irst it see!s Western culture wasntread#" Toda# we routi

nel# co!$are the $rocess o' ur%ani/ation to a (reat wa&e0 %ut in the earl#nineteenth centur# it see!s to ha&

e hit $eo$le !ore like a ton o' %ricks" 1irtuall# o&erni(ht a&oca%ular# o' h#sterical in&ecti&e !ateriali/ed a(

ainst cities and cit# li'e" Cities were de!oni/ede&en as the# %eca!e the !atri) 'or !ore and !ore hu!an li'

e" -eo$le learned to curse theircities as $laces that were +$er2ured !urderous %lood# 'ull o' %la!e sa&a(e

e)tre!e rudecruel not to trust", 3This torrent o' a%use co!es 'ro! Shakes$eares Sonnet 456 a $oe! nota

%out cities at all"7 But Western culture (raduall# ada$ted to cit# li'e and Whit!an andBaudelaire $la#ed cru

cial roles in this collecti&e ada$tation" The# concei&ed and dedicated

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the!sel&es to a new historical task: the task o' !akin( $eo$le 'eel at ho!e in the !odern cit#"

We can see this clearl# in one o' Whit!ans classic $oe!s +Mannahatta, a &isionar# cele%ration o' New

.ork" The $oe! twent#8'our lines lon( has an arrestin( $attern o' !otion" ;or three8


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'or!ed %eauti'ul 'aces lookin( #ou strai(ht in the e#es,0 hu!an collecti&es +i!!i(rants arri&in( 'i'teen or

twent# thousand in a week, +$arades $rocessions %u(les $la#in( 'la(s 'l#in( dru!s %eatin(", Whit!an

shows us a sensi%ilit# that is lar(e enou(h and (enerous enou(h to e!%race the! all" Then he o''ers a

$olitical 2ud(!ent on the $eo$le o' New .ork and on what !akes this $eo$le lo&el#: +The free city! no

slaves! no owners of slaves, 3!# italics7" In the $oe!s last two lines he writes 'ro! (round le&el where

real $eo$le are and real hu!an encounters ha$$en" Here he insists that se)ual 'eelin( is lo&es core:

The cit# o' such wo!en I a! !ad to %e with the!=

I will return a'ter death to %e with the!=

The cit# o' such #oun( !en I swear I cannot li&e ha$$# without I

o'ten (o talk walk eat drink slee$ with the!=

Whit!ans short $oe! +Cit# o' >r(ies, has a si!ilar arc: a tourist (uides in&entor# o' Manhattans (reat

sites then a 2u!$8cut to e&er#da# li'e in the street" What !akes a cit# (reat? the $oet asks" +Not these, the

'or!ida%le o''icial sites %ut rather this:

#our 'rence we ha&e taken Whit!an to heart we reali

/e that the true !eanin( o' +se)ual li%eration, isthe li%eration o' se)ualfantasy" The (lor# o' (reat cities is t

he li%eration o' !illions o' $eo$les'antas# li&es an en&iron!ent where e&er#%od# in the crowd can i!a(ine

the!sel&es naked andinti!ate with e&er#%od# else" ;ro! now on our !ost $ower'ul a$hrodisiac !a# %e an

ordinar#walk on Broadwa#*New .orks or an# other cit#s Broadwa#*or on an# o' the thousands o' cit

#streets that 'eed it" 3E&en on +OldBroadwa#, a street one %lock lon( 2ust o'' West 45th"7 Thanksto Whit!

an we will 'eel the continuit# %etween what we do when we slee$ to(ether and what wecan do in $u%lic as ci

ti/ens on a de!ocratic street"

I' we turn 'ro! Whit!ans cit# to Baudelaires we will reco(ni/e co!!on the!es ri(ht awa#"A%o&e all ther

e is that 'lash o' e#es which is a social as !uch as a $ersonal e&ent s$rin(in( 'ro!the !odern cit#s ca$acit

# to (enerate s$arks o' li'e %etween the !illions o' stran(ers in itscrowds" In Baudelaires short $oe! +A une

$assante, 4the narrator in the !idst o' a -arisiancrowd $asses a wo!an in !ournin(" Her $resence thrills h


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i!: +Lo&el# 'u(iti&e whose (lance has%rou(ht !e %ack to li'e", The# !ake the &er# %rie'est e#e contact then

the# $ass on0 the!o!entu! o' the crowd that %rou(ht the! to(ether soon $ro$els the! in di''erent directi

onsawa#" .et he is certain she is so!eone +who! I !i(ht ha&e lo&ed, and certain she knows and!ourns hi

! e&en as he !ourns her" Baudelaire sees with re!arka%le clarit# how connection%etween hu!an %ein(s i

s 'rau(ht with e!otional co!$le)it#" The su%2ect reaches out %ut also$ulls awa# o'ten without knowin( wh

at it is doin(0 the ra$turous 'lash o' lo&e can 'li$ into atra(ic sta% o' $ain"

Baudelaires $rose $oe! +Crowds,5written in 44 as an o$8ed $iece 'or a -arisian news$a$eris the (reates

t one $a(e e&er written on $eo$le in crowds on streets" He is writin( 'or readers whothe!sel&es arethe crow

d0 as a writer 'or a news$a$er audience 3as he was in his last decade7 sois he" This $oe! !ore than !ost %#

Baudelaire has a &er# clear !essa(e:Do It!His readersshould e!%race the crowd the# are should (o with t

he 'low" To %e a +serious and thou(ht'ulstroller, he sa#s is to +take a bath of multitude", We should i!a(in

e other $eo$le as a strea! o'war! water

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s!ooth and co!'ortin(0 we can take our clothes o'' and rela) with the!" A %ath isnt !eant tolast 'ore&er0 w

e can end it when we want" But its $ossi%le to (o dee$er the $oet sa#s: we shouldtr# to +marry the crowd",

This e)$erience o' hu!an !er(in( is !uch !ore dee$l# en(a(in(:+%ein( %oth onesel' and so!eone else, +a

do$tin( e&er# $ro'ession e&er# 2o# e&er# !iser# asones own", This can %rin( i!!ense erotic and $s#chic r

ewards: +uni


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su$$orters o'de!ocrac#" It is e)$ressed 'or e)a!$le in what A!ericans could call the e''erson tradition:t

he# see +the !o%s o' (reat cities, as incu%ators o' des$otis!0 the# think de!ocrac# will thri&eonl# i' %rakes

can %e $ut on ur%an (rowth and citi/ens can %e ke$t s$read out on ho!esteadin('a!il# 'ar!s" 3>' course i

n order to kee$ these 'ree $eo$le on the 'ar! and kee$ the! 'ro!!o&in( to the cit# we would need a $olic

e state0 %ut ne&er !ind"7 But whether we like it or notthe !o&e to cities has %eco!e the $ri!e de!o(ra$hic

arc in !odern ti!es" And an# li&in(de!ocratic culture is (oin( to ha&e to %e rooted in that ur%an crowd"W

at Whitman and CharesBaudeaire see the ur&an %r"'d as a s"ur%e "( )itait*! "( en%hantm

ent! "( se+ua radian%e! a )ista"( ,"ssi&iities ("r the e+,ansi"n

-./0-

"( the se(1>ne o' the !ost so$histicated antide!ocratic thinkers o' the nineteenth centur# the$hiloso$he

r SFren Gierke(aard o'ten called +the 'irst e)istentialist, sa#s +The crowd is alwa#san untruth", I! sure ne

ither Whit!an nor Baudelaire e&er heard o' Gierke(aard" But i' we listenhard we will hear a wa# in which t

heir writin( is in dialo(ue with hi!" Gierke(aard wantse&er#one to +%eco!e what he is*an indi&idual", But

in order to $rotect his indi&idualit# he !ust+!ake a stand a(ainst the crowd",>ur $oets %elie&e in +the ind

i&idual, 2ust as !uch asGierke(aard does" But the# %elie&e that %ein( on the street %ein( in the crowd can e

nlar(e

indi&iduals can dee$en the! can !ake the! !ore $ro'oundl# the $eo$le the# are" Thisa''ir!ati&e &ision o

' the indi&idual in the crowd !akes the! $ioneers o' a de!ocratic culturethat is still ur(ent and &ital toda#"

E,i"gue

When I read ane aco%ss %eauti'ul ro!ance o' the street The Death and Life of Greatmerican ities9no

t nce we $ut Whit!an in the !i) it

s eas# to seewhat she lea&es out: she lea&es out se)" .et an# street li'e as thick and richl# interacti&e as theo

ne aco%s cele%rates has (ot to %e se"y saturated with se)ual 'antas# and 'eelin( lit u$ with thee)$erience I

call +!ass !er(er", Her %ook e&okes the Holl#wood !o&ies I (rew u$ on ruled %#+The Code, when studios

were 'or%idden to show cou$les e&en !arried cou$les slee$in(to(ether" 3That Code was 'inall# co!in( a$a

rt 2ust when her %ook ca!e out"7 I' we $ut thecensored 'oota(e %ack on the screen i' we let Sonnet 456 run t

hrou(h those li&el# streets we will(et a !odel o' the cit# that will still %e $ro'oundl# aco%ean %ut !ore del

icious !ore wild !oredisru$ti&e and anarchic in its e&er#da# 3and its e&er#8ni(ht7 li'e" Can !odern streets


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su$$ort thisse)# 'oota(e can the# sustain this o&er'lowin( li'e without co!in( a$art? ;i't# #ears a'terDeat

hand Life I think its $rett# clear as it was clear to !# (eneration 'i't# #ears a(o that this is a sill#


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nin( attenti&el# to his landQs !an# idio!s"5As the ulti!atede!ocrat Whit!an wanted his &erse to re'lect $

o$ular tastes ur%an e)$erience and de!ocratic$olitics" At the sa!e ti!e he saw clearl# the de'iciencies o'

each" -oetr# was Whit!anQs wa# o'transformingi!a(es 'ro! e&er#da# li'e so that readers would disco&er A

!ericaQs hi(hest$otential" I' as he once said his $oetr# was +a (reat !irror or re'lector, o' societ# it was a

!irror in which A!erica saw itsel' artisticall# i!$ro&ed"

Be'ore $roducin( the 4Leaves of Grass+Whit!an had %een i!!ersed 'or o&er a do/en #earsin the rou(

h8and8tu!%le world o' New .ork 2ournalis!" As a writer and an editor 'or &arious

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Manhattan and Brookl#n news$a$ers he had $artici$ated in the cultural li'e o' these cities"

The te!$erance !o&e!ent 'or e)a!$le was a rich source o' i!a(er# to hi!" Res$ondin( to theastoundin(

rate o' alcohol consu!$tion in A!erica the Washin(tonian te!$erance !o&e!entarose durin( the earl# 4

9s" Whit!an wrote a nu!%er o' te!$erance works as a #oun(2ournalist" The lon(est the no&el(ranklin &

vans34957 has no less than 'our di''erent $lotsthat illustrate the dire e''ects o' alcohol on 'a!il# li'e" The

!ost $o$ular work that Whit!anwrote durin( his li'eti!e(ranklin &vans+issued in chea$ 'or!at as a twel

&e8cent $a!$hletno&el sold so!e twent# thousand co$ies" It was in Whit!anQs italici/ed words +writtenf

or themass,,

How serious was Whit!an a%out te!$erance? In old a(e he dis!issed(ranklin &vansas+da!ned rot*rot

o' the &er# worst sort, and 2oked that he wrote it in three da#s while he wasdrunk"9Still te!$erance had a '

or!ati&e in'luence on hi!" He knew the da!a(e e)cessi&edrinkin( could cause %# witnessin( his own 'a!il

#* $ro%a%l# his 'ather and certainl# his %rotherAndrew"Whit!an hi!sel' was onl# a !oderate drinker 'or

!ost o' his li'e"

He i!$orted the i!a(es and attitudes o' te!$erance into his $oetr# associatin( drunkards withi!$ure or d

is(ustin( thin(s" +A drunkardQs %reath , he wrote in +A Hand8Mirror,0+unwholeso!e eaterQs 'ace &enereale

eQs 'leshLun(s rottin( awa# $iece!eal sto!ach sour andcankerousoints rheu!atic %owels clo((ed wit

h a%o!ination",In +Son( o' the >$en Road,he declared that +no ru!drinker or &enereal taint is $er!itted

here",

He also trans'or!ed i!a(er# 'ro! another $o$ular (enre o' his ti!e: sensational literature"Durin( the 4

s and Q9s a re&olution in $rint technolo(# occurred" The chea$l# $roduced$enn#

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news$a$er re$lacin( the stod(# si)8$enn# news$a$er o' the $ast 'eatured a new kind o'2ournalis! that was

$o$ulist reada%le and a%o&e all sensational" More $rintin( ad&ances%rou(ht ine)$ensi&e $a!$hlet no&els

that were hawked on streets and in railwa# stations"-o$ular writers o' $ul$ no&els such as Keor(e Li$$ard

ose$h Holt In(raha! and Keor(eTho!$son tried to outdo each other in the a!ount o' se) and (ore the# c

ould $ut into theirno&els !an# o' which dri$$ed with %lood"

Whit!an was aware o' the (rowin( $o$ularit# o' sensational literature" As a #oun( 2ournalist hewrote sensa

tional $oe!s and stories 'or news$a$ers" A!on( the! was +The IncaQs Dau(hter , inwhich an Inca !aid is

tortured on the rack and then sta%s hersel' with a $oisoned arrow0 +TheS$anish Lad# , whose aristocratic h

eroine is sta%%ed %# +one whose trade is %lood and cri!e,0and +Richard -arkerQs Widow , in which a !add

ened wo!an disinters her e)ecuted hus%andQsco''in and e!%races the cor$se" In the news$a$ers he edited

he so!eti!es catered to $o$ulartaste %# $rintin( horrid accounts o' cri!es and accidents"

In a news$a$er article he noted the (reat $o$ularit# o' +%lood and thunder ro!ances withalliterati&e titles a

nd $lots o' startlin( interest , written 'or the !an# readers who +re


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Whit!an co!$lained in news$a$er articles that e&en his relati&el# clean ho!e cit# Brookl#nhad $ro%le!s

si!ilar to ManhattanQs" Since the cit#Qs drinkin( water still ca!e 'ro! $u%lic$u!$s Whit!an 'eared Brookl

#nites were %ein( slowl# $oisoned:

I!a(ine all the accu!ulations o' 'ilth in a (reat cit#*not !erel# the slo$s androttenness thrown in the stree

ts and %#wa#s @ %ut the nu!%erless $ri&ies cess8$oolssinks and (ulches o' a%o!ination*@the unna!ea%

le and un!easura%le dirt that ise&er e&er 'iltered into the earth throu(h its !#riad $ores and which as sure

l# 'inds itswa# into the nei(h%orhood $u!$8water as that a dro$ o' $oison $ut in one $art o' the&ascular s#

ste! (ets into the whole s#ste!"4

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As 'or street ani!als Brookl#n 'eatured an e&en (reater &ariet# than Manhattan since it was athorou(h'are

to the 'ar!s on near%# Lon( Island" The $ro%le! $ro&oked this out%urst %#Whit!an in theBrooklyn &veni

ng #tar'+>ur cit# is literall# o&errun with swine+outra(in( alldecenc# and 'ora(in( u$on e&er# s$ecies o' e

ata%les within their reach@" Ho(s Do(s and Cowsshould %e %anished 'ro! our streets",44

The cit# that a$$ears in Whit!anQs $oetr# is not the s


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is not (i&in( an accurate account o' hi!sel'" In real li'e Whit!an was ordinaril# $lacid" He wasnot known

'or o&erindul(ence in +eatin( drinkin(", As 'or +%reedin( , he did not ha&e children"

I' the $ersonaQs unrestrained !achis!o sa#s little a%out Whit!an it sa#s a lot a%out theroisterin( t#$es he

o%ser&ed on cit# streets" The +%Qho#, was t#$icall# a %utcher or other workerwho s$ent a'ter8hours runnin( t

o 'ires with en(ines (oin( on tar(et e)cursions or $ro!enadin(on the Bower# with his +(Qhal", The %Qho# cli

$$ed his hair short in %ack ke$t his lon( sidelockshea&il# (reased with soa$ 3hence his so%ri


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Whit!anQs $oe!s $resented an i!$ro&ed &ersion o' street t#$es whose tendencies to &iolenceand &ul(arit#

he 'rowned u$on" +Mo%s and !urderers a$$ear to rule the hour , he wrote in 4Jin the Brookl#nDaily Ti

mes,+The re&ol&er rules the re&ol&er is triu!$hant", 4J+Rowd#is!Ra!$ant, was the title o' an alar!ed $iec

e in which he denounced the +law8de'#in( loa'ers who!ake the 'i(hts

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and distur% the $u%lic $eace,0 he $ro$hesied that +so!e da# decent 'olks will take the !atter intotheir own

hands and $ut down with a stron( will this ru!8swillin( ra!$ant set o' rowdies androu(hs",4

He $resented an i!$ro&ed &ersion o' rowdies and loa'ers in his $oetr#" +Alread# a nonchalant%reed silentl#

e!er(in( a$$ears on the streets , he wrote in one $oe! descri%in( the t#$e inanother $oe! as +Arro(ant

!asculine nai&e rowd#ishO@P Attitudes lithe and erect costu!e'ree neck o$en o' slow !o&e!ent on 'oot

",46In a dra't o' another $oe! he wrote that he alonesan( +the #oun( !an o' Mannahatta the cele%rated ro

u(h",5

Earl# re&iewers o'Leaves of Grasssaw the link %etween the $oet and New .ork street culture"The &er# 'irst

re&iew $lacedWhit!an in the +class o' societ# so!eti!es irre&erentl# st#ledQloa'ers"Q, 54The second re&iew li

kewise called Whit!an +a $er'ect loa'er thou(h a thou(ht'ula!ia%le a%le one", 55The decorous a!es Rus

sell Lowell declared +Whit!an is a rowd# a New.ork tou(h a loa'er a 're

Whitman i Grad

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