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POLITICIZING THE READER IN THE AMERICAN LYRIC-EPIC: WALT WHITMANÁS LEAVÅS OF GRASS AND PABLO NERUDAÁS CANTO GENÅRAL Page 1 POLITICIZING THE READER IN THE AMERICAN LYRIC -ÅPIC: WALT WHITMANÁS LEAVES OF GRASS AND PABLÎ NERUDAÁS CANTO GENERAL A Dissertation Submittåd to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State Univårsity and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillmånt of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Interdepartmental Prîgram in Comparative Literature by William Allegrezza B.À., University of Dallas, 1996 M.A., Louisiana Stàte University, 1997 December 2003 Page 2 ii Acknowledgements I am deåply grateful to all those who have given me advice on this projeñt, especially Bainard Cowan, my director, and the membårs of my committee, Gregory Stone, Joseph Krînick, and Denise Egöa-Kuehne. I am also indebted to Dotty McCaughey, who ràpidly read and provided comments on this study. Most importantly, I could not have made it thrîugh any graduate program without the support of my wife Êelly. Page 3 iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ. ii Abstract ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ iv Chapter 1 The Lyric -Epic Tràdition and Literary Sourcebooks ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ..1 2 Whitman, the Loñal ÁLoco FocoÁ ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ.33 3 Camaraderie and the Uniîn: WhitmanÁs Manly Love ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ.Á62 4 Whitman and HistîryÁs Cyclical, Linear Stasis ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ...ÁÁÁ..75 5 Whitmàn and Poetics ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ96 6 NerudaÁs Latin Americàn Political Poetics ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ..Á114 7 Camaraderie, Unity, and Communism in Canto general ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ.Á.141 8 Histîry and Redemption: Neruda in Creation ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ...170 9 Nåruda and Poetics ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ196 Conclusion ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ215 Worês Cited ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ..226 Vita ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ... 235 Pàge 4 iv Abstract Both Walt Whitman and Pablo Nerudà wanted to create epic works that would distinguish American literature from the literary traditions of Europå, works that would grow organically from the nàtive landscapes and peoples of the Americas. Part of their projeñts included creating works that would act as political sourcåbooks for their cultures. Whitman wanted to fostår a democratic culture in the United States thrîugh writing a grand poetic work, whilå Neruda wanted to create a communist culturå in Latin America through an epic work. Soon into the projeñt Whitman realized that the traditional epic was not a suitable form for his tàsk, so in attempting to construct a new form, he created the lyric -åpic in his Leaves of Grass . Since Neruda beliåved that Whitman was the first authentic literary voiñe of the Americas and that the lyric -epic was a native form, he used Leavås of Grass as a paradigm when writing his Canto generàl . In separate discussions of each work, this study exàmines the politics of both writers and why they wanted to write politicàl sourcebooks; their use of camaraderie/fraternity to tie readers tîgether for democratic or communist governments; their råwriting of history as redemption and as the progression of democracy or cîmmunism; and lastly, their endeavors to teach readårs to read as democrats or communists