昭昭天命是一種美國哲學，其本意是認為美國應該擴張且統治整個北美大陸．昭昭天命是一種很有趣的理念，因為它並無任何法律條文來要求或逼迫美國人民接受這個理念。但很不可思議的地方在於，每當任何人探討美國歷史時，這理念卻處處可見。本論文將探討昭昭天命這理念已深深植入在美國歷史的事實。然而，本文並非只有點明出，昭昭天命對於美國之所以能有今日強盛之勢的正面影響，更提出並探討這理念所帶來的負面效果及傷害。藉由分析與研究美國十九世紀最具影響力的詩人之一，沃特爾惠特曼，所寫的詩詞，來證實昭昭天命這思想在當時所帶來的深遠影響。許多人已知惠特曼是位民族主義者，同時也是昭昭天命理念的信奉者。他的詩詞創作也證實惠特曼已深深地信奉著這個理念．但是本論文主旨在於深入探討惠特曼對於昭昭天命所抱持的矛盾心態，因為他已發現這理念所會帶來的負面後果。

“Manifest Destiny” is an American philosophy which emphasizes that America is predestined to expand and occupy the whole continent. Manifest destiny is such an interesting ideology because there is no legal documentation that obliges Americans to comply to this idea nor think this way. But fascinatingly, when one looks back to the history of America, this ideology of Manifest Destiny is written all over it. This thesis seeks to establish the fact that the idea of Manifest Destiny has been deeply embedded in American history. However, this thesis does not only aim to highlight the impressive contributions of Manifest Destiny in making the United States a great nation that we know today, but it also aims to emphasize the negative implications that it had inflicted over the years. Given the fact that the ideology of Manifest Destiny was a predominant belief especially during the 19th century, this thesis aspires to investigate the extent of its influence by exploring the effects of Manifest Destiny on America’s most important poet of the 19th century, Walt Whitman, by doing a textual analysis on some of his poems. It is known to many that Whitman is a nationalist and a believer of Manifest Destiny. Therefore, the extensive effects of the belief of Manifest Destiny had influenced Walt Whitman as it is highly evident in his poems. However, this thesis argues that Whitman is ambivalent towards Manifest Destiny as he has also recognized the negative consequences it came with.

Acknowledgements …………….……………………………………………………………. iii
Chinese Abstract ………………………………………………………………………..….....iv
English Abstract …………………………………………………………………………..…....v
Chapter One: Introduction ………………………………………………………………….…1
Chapter Two: The History of America and Manifest Destiny ………………………...........7
Chapter Three: The Idea of Manifest Destiny and Its Discontent…………...……….…..26
Chapter Four: The Life of Walt Whitman...………...……………………………………….34
Chapter Five: Manifest Destiny in Walt Whitman’s Poems ……………………………...44
Chapter Six: Conclusion …………………………………………...………………………...66
Works Cited ………………………………………….…………………………….…..….…..68

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