Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass by Whitman, Walt 150th Edition

by Walt Whitman, David S. Reynolds (Editor)

Genres: Poetry

Hardcover

Published April 15, 2005

About the author

Walter Whitman Jr. was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature. Whitman incorporated both transcendentalism and realism in his writings and is often called the father of free verse. His work was controversial in his time, particularly his 1855 poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described by some as obscene for its overt sensuality.
Whitman was born in Huntington on Long Island, and lived in Brooklyn as a child and through much of his career. At the age of 11, he left formal schooling to go to work. He worked as a journalist, a teacher, and a government clerk. Whitman's major poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, was financed with his own money and became well known. The work was an attempt to reach out to the common person with an American epic. Whitman continued expanding and revising Leaves of Grass until his death in 1892.
During the American Civil War, he went to Washington, D.C., and worked in hospitals caring for the wounded. His poetry often focused on both loss and healing. On the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, whom Whitman greatly admired, he authored two poems, "O Captain! My Captain!" and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd", and gave a series of lectures on Lincoln. After suffering a stroke towards the end of his life, Whitman moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his health further declined. When he died at the age of 72, his funeral was a public event.
Whitman's influence on poetry remains strong. Art historian Mary Berenson wrote, "You cannot really understand America without Walt Whitman, without Leaves of Grass... He has expressed that civilization, 'up to date,' as he would say, and no student of the philosophy of history can do without him." Modernist poet Ezra Pound called Whitman "America's poet... He is America."

Reviews

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

With emphasis on Song of Myself



My first encounter with Walt Whitman took place in the 80s. In a strange place: Strandul Studentesc, near a lake, in a “Students’ Premises”. The show directed and played by Florian Pittis, was taking place there. I was Thunderstruck.



After that, Norocel kept reciting from Song of Myself. Norocel used to be one of my best friends, for about 5 years the very best friend. He died- may he rest in peace.



I recently read again Song of Myself and Leaves of Grass-most of it.



For a strange reason, this is the only book that I found more appealing in Romanian than in the original language.



This why, instead of too much commentary, I will just write down the verses that I loved most:



I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loaf and invite my soul, I lean and loaf at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air, Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same, I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, Hoping to cease not till death. Creeds and schools in abeyance,



Houses and rooms are full of perfumes, the shelves are crowded with perfumes, I breathe the fragrance myself and know it and like it, The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it. The atmosphere is not a perfume…

[Hannah Moenyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: Apparently this edition isn't included in the list of 3,000+ editions of Leaves of Grass, but since I specifically read this edition and appreciated the extra content in it, I'm leaving a review here as well as star rating the general Leaves of Grass book entry.

No need to go into detail on the poem itself, as that's been rehashed by thousands of reviewers and countless phd thesis etc. Most just wanted to add a note recommending this particular edition as it not only replicates the original in terms of style/printing font/etc (including the full original preface, of course). but also as it includes a section with reprints of 20+ original reviews of the book that were published in newspapers & journals in 1855-1856 (a few of the reviews were written by Whitman himself to promote his book). In addition to the reviews, there is also a reprint of the letters between Emerson & Whitman following the publishing of the book. There is also a great introduction by David S Reynolds, Whitman scholar.

I'd recommend this version to both new readers of Whitman who want to get a "close to the original" experience of reading the book as well as to seasoned Whitman readers who are interested in understanding more of the historical context of Whitman's life and the publishing of Leaves of Grass.