Demokrasinin Sanatı ve Edebiyatı: Walt Whitman ve Robert Henri

Walt Whitman 1819–1892 eserleri pek çok şair yazar ve hatta ressamı etkilemiş olan oldukça etkili bir şair ve yazardı. Onu çağdaşlarından farklı kılan en önemli özellik marjinal insanlar hakkında ve onlar için yazmasıdır. Farklı sınıf, kültür ve etnik kökenlerden insanlar hakkında yazılar kaleme almak suretiyle edebiyata katkıda bulunmuştur. Eserlerinin herkesçe okunabilmesini amaçladığı için dil ve anlatımda sadeliği tercih etmiştir. Demokrasi anlayışını ortaya kozduğu Leaves of Grass eseri yayınlandığında yoğun eleştiriye maruz kalmıştır. Lakin onun ileri görüşlü edebi fikirleri bazı sanatçılara ilham olmuş ve onu takip etmelerine neden olmuştur. En önemli takipçilerinden biri de Robert Henri olmuştur ve o da Whitman gibi eserlerinde sıradan insanları konu almıştır. Whitman ve Henri tarafından geliştirilen bu bakış demokratikleşmede bir mihenk taşı olmuş ve zenginlere, aristokratlara ve elitlere yönelik sanat ve edebiyat anlayışa karşı durmuştur. Bu makale adı geçen sanatçıların temel eserlerini ve felsefelerini incelemek suretiyle Whitman ve Henri’nin sanat ve edebiyatın demokratikleşmesine sundukları katkıyı ortaya koymayı amaçlar.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Walt Whitman, Robert Henri, Sanat ve Edebiyat, Demokrasi

The Art and Literature of Democracy: Walt Whitman and Robert Henri

Walt Whitman 1819–1892 was a highly influential poet and essayist whose works influenced many poets, writers and even painters. The most important feature that distinguished him from his contemporaries was that he wrote for and about marginalized people. He has contributed to literature by addressing people of different ethnic backgrounds, classes and cultures. He favored simplicity in language and expression, since he aimed to make his works readable by everyone. His work Leaves of Grass, which describes his understanding of democracy, was subjected to intense criticism when it was published. However, his visionary literary understanding inspired some artists and allowed them to follow him. One of his most important followers was Robert Henri, and he focused on ordinary people in his works like Whitman.The understanding developed by Whitman and Henri became a cornerstone in the democratization of art and literature against the widespread understanding of art centered on the rich, aristocrats and elites. By examining their main works and philosophies, the present article aims to demonstrate how Whitman and Henri contributed to the democratization of art and literature.

Keywords:

Walt Whitman, Robert Henri, Art and Literature, Democracy,

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