Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are considered by many to be the two most important American poets of the 19th century. Both are lyric poets concerned primarily with nature and man's relationship with nature. Their poetry signaled a break with the traditional conventions of poetry.
While Dickinson used church hymns to form the rhythm of her poetry, Whitman used sprawling cadences of natural speech to couch his words. Dickinson used some trappings of traditional poetry, especially figurative language. She creates some of the most striking metaphors and similes and uses a liberal helping of personification. Whitman paints broad sweeping portraits with his catalogs and fine imagery. Dickinson's poetry is reflective and deeply personal, while Whitman's attempts to encompass America and humanity itself with broad strokes.
While reading the collections of Whitman and Dickinson poetry, make sure to note the similarities and differences inherent to each body of work.