Meditations of Walt Whitman: Earth, My Likeness

by Chris Highland, Walt Whitman

Carry Walt Whitman’s wisdom with you in this inspirational guide that features 60 selections from his most insightful poems. Walt Whitman, the great American poet of the 19th century (1819–1892), celebrated his body, the land, the commonest of people, the plants and leaves, and the cosmos in Leaves of Grass , first published in 1855. Working variously as a printer, journalist, teacher, and Civil War nurse, Whitman traveled across the continent, soaking the ink of the wilds and the urban into his pen. His poetry is an invitation into the wilds of Nature and human nature. In Meditations of Walt Whitman , editor Chris Highland pairs 60 short selections from Whitman’s poetry with a relevant quote from a historical or contemporary writer and thinker, from Aristotle to Alice Walker, Lord Byron to Arthur C. Clarke. Take this pocket-size guide with you on backpacks, nature hikes, and camping trips. Let Whitman’s words enrich your experience as you ponder the wilderness from riverbank, mountaintop, or as you relax beside your campfire. Inside you’ll
This sampler from Whitman’s poems draws from the heart of each passage. Let Whitman’s words accompany you on your own trails of discovery and help you discover the earth, your likeness.

Genres: Poetry

190 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2004

About the author

Author of Broken Bridges (2020), A Freethinker's Gospel (2018) as well as six natural meditation books beginning with Meditations of John Muir (2001); also Life After Faith (2010), My Address is a River (2010), the novel Jesus and John Muir (2010), Nature is Enough (2013) and other web-published works including poetry, essays and a childrens' book.

A former minister and chaplain in the SF Bay Area, he is now a freethinking humanist celebrant who teaches and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Chris writes the weekly "Highland Views" column for the Citizen-Times and blogs at www.chighland.com.

Reviews

[Oscar Mares · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sin duda es una compilación muy linda entorno al locus amoenus del campo, los ríos, los bosques y la naturaleza en general. Mis poemas favoritos son del Whitman exaltado el que reta, invita y enloquece, pero la mayoría de los poemas en este libro son de otra índole. Son más tranquilos y apacibles. Al final le puse tres estrellas por motivos de gustos, pero fácil habría sido un cuatro estrellas.

[Christine Hiester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Walt Whitman. The organization of this book, and the layout, were a bit too sparse for me. The fragments of poetry chosen often ended abruptly and left me wanting more. But there were some portions I hadn't read before, so I enjoyed it.

[Roebling Point Books & Coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whitman’s collected thoughts on our fragile planet are gathered here within this inspiring book.
I swear the earth shall surely be complete
to him or her who shall be complete
The earth remains jagged and broken
only to him and her who remains jagged and broken.
-Review by Kara Pelicano