Reader's Guide to Walt Whitman

by Gay Wilson Allen

Author of the biography of Whitman and several other books about the poet, general coeditor of The Collected Writings, and for 25 years the leading scholar of Leaves of Grass, Allen has now produced a critical guide for an intelligent reader's analysis and evaluation of current interpretations and approaches to Whitman's poetry. Its five sections are concerned a) the Whitman man-or-beast myth; 2) the 'long foreground' to the Leaves; 3) the nine editions, 1855-1892, of Whitman's book...; 4) the central themes or subject matter that give it unity, and the views of critics...; and 5) its form and structure as seen in a dozen individual lyrics. The result is a useful, valuable, and even remarkable capstone to a long career devoted to the study of 'A Bible for Democracy' (Whitman's phrase for Leaves of Grass).

Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Maria Hrickova · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for a Master’s course. I learned a lot more about Whitman than I had been taught in high school. I definitely have a deeper appreciation for the poet and his work.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great companion read to Whitman: Poetry and Prose. Allen offers great background information on Whitman as well as some of the critical attitudes in existence towards Whitman's writing.