It is easy to compare two great poets of the late 19th century. Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman were both authors and had a unique writing style. Although both had the same views on things, their writing styles were drastically different. Simply put, Whitman likes to use free verse, while Dickinson, on the other hand, prefers regular rhymes and complex slants. Dickinson's poems are also considerably shorter than Whitman's. Again, when it comes to word choice, Dickinson has a simpler style, where one could compare Whitman's to a flashier, bolder word selection. However, both poets would be part of the Romantic era of writing. They also strongly believe in individualism and have the same thoughts about death. Both believed in an afterlife, which meant that life after death was a better place. Like many writers of the time, they also took the time to compare nature to God and write about their discoveries. They can be blamed for the development of American poetry. You can clearly see the differences between American poetry and British poetry soon after their writings. They were very inspiring to writers across America and wrote about daring topics. Dickinson questioned God in ways unheard of, and Whitman wrote that you don't have to be a church to be with God. Both were very inspired by nature and made connections to it in their poetry. When it came to style, the two obviously clashed, but they also clashed in other ways. Whitman liked to use biblical quotes or references in his poetry, while Dickinson almost didn't believe in church and worshiped in her own way. The two were very different poets, but that said, they helped shape poetry in America even today. While ...... middle of paper ...... it has an original use of meters that sets it apart from the rest. others. Both Whitman and Dickinson use common, everyday people and objects in a smaller context. Although the works of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson appear very different from the outside, they share many similarities. Religion, death and other common things make them similar, even if their views are different. You can see the similarities by reading the works of both authors. Both forever changed the American view of poetry and the style of poetry. They also have big voices and introduced different beliefs into society that still exist today. One could say that even though both authors are dead, they are still remembered. Works Cited Baym, Nina and Robert S. Levine, eds. The Norton Anthology: American Literature. 8th ed. New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc., 2012. Print.