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How to Keep Criticism from Sinking Your Soul: Walt Whitman and the Discipline of Creative Confidence

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How to Keep Criticism from Sinking Your Soul: Walt Whitman and the Discipline of Creative Confidence By Maria Popova “Re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul,” Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819–March 26, 1892) wrote in offering his timeless advice on living a vibrant and rewarding life in the preface to Leaves of Grass. When Whitman fir...
This interaction between Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson highlights the complexities of artistic creation and validation in 19th-century America. Emerson's critique of Whitman's work exemplifies the tension between traditional literary norms and innovative, avant-garde expressions. Despite facing criticism from a respected figure like Emerson, Whitman stood firm in his creative convictions, demonstrating the importance of artistic agency in shaping cultural narratives. Patterns detected: AR...