Final answer:
Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman broke from the American literary tradition in different ways: Dickinson through introspective and compressed poetry, while Whitman through expansive and celebratory poetry.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, two influential American poets, broke from the traditional literary tradition of Emerson, Hawthorne, and Melville in different ways.
While Dickinson focused on introspective and compressed poetry in her secluded life, Whitman embraced a more expansive and celebratory style in his poetry, reflecting a sense of unity in diversity.
Dickinson's poetry is characterized by short lines, unconventional punctuation, and themes of nature, love, and death, while Whitman's poetry is marked by long lines, free verse, and themes of democracy, nature, and the individual.
Dickinson's tight and intimate lyricism coupled with her innovative use of slant rhyme and unconventional punctuation carved out a path for unique personal expression in literature.
On the other hand, Whitman's expansive free verse and thematic inclusivity in Leaves of Grass exemplified a democratic vision of America, embracing a range of experiences and identities. Both poets also shared the spirit of innovation, reflecting the dynamic changes of their time, the sweeping westward expansion, and the industrial revolution shaping America's landscape.