UCLA Center for the Study of Women

Despite the fact that ecofeminist theory and the writings of Walt Whitman are separated by over a century of radical literary and social change, I suggest that the style, content, and philosophy behind Whitman’s poetry represent a catalyst of change in the manner in which nature and women are viewed in America. His defiant approach to literature initiated a compositional and philosophical revisioning that took the door of tradition off of its hinges, allowing women and their alternative styles of literary expression to walk through. In the detailed study from which this presentation is sourced, I reveal how Whitman’s poetry aligns with the basic tenets of ecofeminism by means of a careful examination of his writings. Thus, I take part in re-evaluating the canon in American literature, challenging its worth in light of a society less acquiescent of male-dominated hierarchies in art and culture. In the case of Walt Whitman, I argue that he continues to belong.