Democratic Vistas: The Original Edition in Facsimile

Whitman's Democratic Vistas

Walt Whitman may not have been a great prose stylist. His 1871 essay "Democratic Vistas" is wandering, difficult to follow, and full of the lengthy lists and the bravado that informs his poetry. With its difficulty, Whitman's essay deserves much more attention than it receives as a study of the nature of American democracy. A "vista" is a wide or long view. In his essay, Whitman takes a long, visionary view of American democracy that remains inspiring and important to Americans through the sometimes confusion of its writing.

In his book, "The American Soul: Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founders" the American philosopher Jacob Needleman called "Democratic Vistas" "the most powerful manifesto ever written about the inner meaning of American democracy." Needleman found that the essay "sounds a call of merciless and merciful clarity, like a buoy ringing and ringing in the blinding storm and heaving waters." In an article in "The Atlantic" of May 2003, titled "What Whitman Knew", David Brooks described "Democratic Vistas" as still the "best explanation of the nation's energies and aspirations" Brooks argues that Whitman's essay "survives as our most brilliant political sermon because it embodies the exuberant energy of American society -- the energy that can make other peoples so nervous -- and it captures in its hodgepodge nature both the high aspirations and the sordid realities of everyday life."

Whitman's essay explores the meaning and direction of the United States in the aftermath of the Civil War. It was motivated in part by an 1867 essay of Thomas Carlyle "Shooting Niagara -- and After?" that severely criticized American democracy, including the expansion of the franchise. "Democratic Vistas" is an amalgamation of three earlier essays of Whitman that set forth its themes: the first was titled "Democracy", the second "Personalism" and the third "Orbic Literature". Each of these essays in turn drew on prior writings or memorandums. Whitman acknowledged in "Democratic Vistas" that the component essays were not entirely consistent with one another, but he said that the various views set out in the work needed to be read as commenting upon and qualifying each other.

Whitman argues that the uniqueness of America lies in democracy and freedom. He contrasts the United States with the culture of "feudalism" or hierarchy that he finds existed in the world up to American independence. The promise of the United States is to create a nation and culture separate from feudalism and to share it with the world. Whitman finds that the United States had not yet realized this goal. Much of "Democratic Vistas" is devoted to a sharp criticism of the Reconstruction following the Civil War with its crassness, its pursuit of money and material growth and its creation of large social and economic divisions. The critique is sharp and often eloquent.

The book then moves to a discussion of a philosophy Whitman calls "personalism". As Whitman develops it, personalism teaches the worth of each individual ranging from the highest to the lowest in the society. He sees personalism as a philosophy antithetical to feudalism. Yet Whitman also combines individualism and personalism with solidarity, community, and brotherhood. With great insight, he sees personalism and individuality as a part of a necessary patriotism and love for the United States, rather than opposed to it.

In the third section of the essay, Whitman turns to ways in which the values of American democracy can be articulated and promoted. He does not turn exclusively to extension of the franchise or to further material accomplishments. Instead his goal is the development of a national literature which celebrates the value of the everyday and the lives and dreams of Americans. This literature will have the toughness of the United States rather than the gentility of Europe even though it will draw on and expand the great literary works and poems of history. Whitman sees literature as creating and expanding the dreams of Americans as a diverse but united people. Among other things I was reminded of the American philosopher Richard Rorty in his book "Achieving Our Country". Rorty admired Whitman greatly and made somewhat similar claims about the power and importance of a national literature.

The part of "Democratic Vistas" that most impressed me was its recognition of the importance of religion and spirituality and its adoption of a philosophy of idealism which owes a great deal to Hegel. Whitman separates religion from the sectarianism of the churches and argues that Americans must develop a sense of the spiritual life to avoid materialism, to understand nature properly, and to give meaning and purpose to their lives.

Whitman finds that the most important question to ask in considering a book or any work of art is "has it helped any human soul?". He continues to explain how Americans must be taken in their literature to a consideration of life's meaning in the world beyond nature. Whitman writes:

"As, within the purposes of the Kosmos, and vivifying all meteorology, and all the congeries of the mineral, vegetable and animal worlds -- all the physical growth and development of man, and all the history of the race in politics, religions, wars &c, there is a moral purpose, a visible or invisible intention, certainly underlying all -- its results and proof needing to be patiently waited for -- needing intuition, faith, idiosyncrasy, to its realization, which many, and especially the intellectual, do not have -- so in the product, or congeries of the product of the greatest literatus. This is the last, profoundest measure and test of a first-class literary or esthetic achievement, and when understood and put in force must fain, I say, lead to works, books, nobler than any hitherto known."

Whitman's America is ultimately spiritual in character.

"Democratic Vistas" does not create a program to realize its ambitions. Instead it is a visionary, mythological work which encourages Americans to find meaning and purpose in their country and its future. The work is available in several editions and is included in the Library of America's volume "Walt Whitman: Complete Poetry and Selected Prose".

Robin Friedman