Comparison of Poe and WhittmanA successful writer is one who is able to convey ideas, emotions and wisdom to his readers. He knows how to arouse emotions and capture the reader's attention with vivid descriptions and intelligent dialogue. The writer can even play with the meaning of words and merge fact and fiction to achieve his goal of taking the reader on a wonderful journey. Her tools are just words, but the art of writing is found in the use of language to create thought-provoking pieces that challenge changing times. Between the lines, voices and images emerge. Not everyone can write effectively and invoke these voices. It is those rare people who can create certain psychological effects on the reader who can grip him with inspiring teachings, frightening thoughts and playful games with the language. These people are real writers… Additionally, authors often lack originality and simply take the reader on all-too-familiar journeys into politics, morality, or religion. Successful writers are those who take risks and write about topics that others have often been less willing to tackle. The product of these extraordinary efforts are compositions richly enriched by human feelings and real problems that we encounter and associate with our daily lives... stimulating discussions on religion, philosophy or politics. These pioneering authors are not afraid to write about evil, the perverse aspects of man, or even sexuality... Their true voices rise behind the words which take shape in the minds of readers. Few have done so, but in the 19th century two notable Americans produced compositions of uneven quality. Their styles and the way they approach the reader are different from middle of paper......something (AL 2139)Could it be that their originality comes from the fact that they both knew how to express the screams so humanly of the soul while leaving readers with mysteries and ambiguities to adapt to their own life experiences? Their distinct styles allowed them to express exactly what was on their minds with words, leaving all inhibitions behind. The themes of their compositions and the moral issues caught our attention. I think the reader was able to "feel" that he was really experiencing the story simply because so much remained a mystery for our subconscious to reflect on... I am convinced that this is the key element that makes both of Whitman and Poe successful writers. Works Cited Reidhead J. ed. (1998, fifth edition) The Norton Anthology of American Literature Volume 1: Norton & Company, New York