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claim. From as early as 1647, at the age of nineteen, Fox began traveling to England in an attempt to reconcile his beliefs with the prevailing laws of his country. Ultimately, Fox arrived at the conclusion that  when all my hopes in Christian ministers and in all men were gone, so that I had nothing outwardly to help me, nor could tell what to do, then, Oh then I heard a voice which said, “There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition,” and when I heard it, my heart did leap for joy. Then the Lord did let me see why there was none upon the earth that could speak to my condition … And this I knew experimentally, through direct experience. My desires after the Lord grew stronger, and zeal in the pure knowledge of God and of Christ alone, without help of any man, book, or writing. For though I read the Scriptures that spoke of Christ and of God, yet I knew him not but by revelation. (qtd. in Chenoweth 9) 

Chapter Three Quaker Influence on Walt Whitman’s Life ....................... 25

3.1 Germinal Seed of Grass: Early-year Acceptance ..................... 26

3.2 Free Wandered Dandelion: Middle-year Alienation ........................ 32

3.3 November Boughs: Later-year Renewal .......................... 37

Chapter Four Quaker Influence on Walt Whitman’s Thoughts ................ 43 

Song of the Free Soul ........................... 43

4.2 Poetry as Bible ..........................43

Conclusion ............................... 71 

Chapter Four Quaker Influence on Walt Whitman’s Thoughts

4.1 Song of the Free Soul

In his work “Democratic Vistas” (1872), Whitman emphasizes the pivotal role of literature in improving humanity’s collective soul. Whitman claims that the most influential force in the world is a powerful, uncontrolled soul, which he believes can be found in the literature (Liu 193). In his view, poetry’s essential quality lies in its ability to nourish the human soul, and it serves as a vital bridge that connects reality and peoples’ innermost beings. Whitman argues that good poetry functions as a conduit between reality and the readers’ souls. Furthermore, Whitman asserts that literature has a social and ethical obligation to generate the most profound impact on people’s minds, using the uncontrolled soul as its vessel (Liu 193). 

Whitman’s poetry is the singing of his free soul. And his inner spirit is a part of the soul. Therefore, Whitman focuses heavily on spirituality, arguing that “great spirituality contains intense sensuality”, “but spirituality is not a pure abstraction, not fiction or fantasy, neither pure sensual pleasure”, and “the spirituality for him is supreme and encompassing” (Ma 4). Whitman also argues that “the spirit of literature should fit into the spirit of the nation, and that only a nation with a full spirit of freedom and democracy can produce great literature” (Ma 4). 

Conclusion

The thesis makes an effort to analyze the influence of traditional Quaker beliefs and practices as well as Hicks’ liberal Quaker beliefs and unique 本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。