Crane’s Poetic Defiance: American Identity beyond the Good Gray Poet

Bezzouh, Amina; Saoudi, Karima

المعيار
Volume 16, Numéro 2, Pages 1107-1120
2025-12-01

Crane’s Poetic Defiance: American Identity Beyond The Good Gray Poet

Authors : Bezzouh Amina . Saoudi Karima .

Abstract

This article examines the poetic connection between Walt Whitman and Hart Crane through Harold Bloom's concept of "Anxiety of Influence," illustrating Crane's deliberate "misreading" of Whitman as an act of creative rebellion. Whitman, the poet of American democracy, celebrated an expansive and inclusive America, whereas Crane, writing in the context of disenchanted modernity, presented an ambivalent perspective. Crane's interaction with Whitman's poetry reveals how he simultaneously reveres and undermines Whitman's impact. Specifically, this analysis demonstrates that Crane's reframing of the Whitman-Crane relationship is not one of mere failure but a productive, anxious struggle, through which he establishes a significant new perspective on American identity. The examination illustrates how Crane's "misreading" of Whitman reflects the shifting essence of American identity and the enduring influence of literary tradition. This study fills a critical gap in scholarship by transcending broad evaluations of influence to provide a detailed, Bloomian examination of Crane's particular poetic techniques, uncovering fresh perspectives on the development of American identity and Crane’s poetic defiance.