Leaves of Grass

Walt Whitman, age 37, frontispiece to Leaves of Grass. Steel engraving by Samuel Hollyer from a lost daguerreotype by Gabriel Harrison.
Author	Walt Whitman
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Poetry
Publisher	Self
Publication date	July 4, 1855

Leaves of Grass is a collection of poems by American poet Walt Whitman, the best-known of which are "Song of Myself", "I Sing the Body Electric", "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking", and his homage to the assassinated U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, "O Captain! My Captain!". Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (640x900, 71 KB) Summary Whitman from Leaves of Grass Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass ... Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819–March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. ... In architecture, a frontispiece constitutes the elements that frame and decorate the main, or front, door to a building; especially when the main entrance is the chief face of the building, rather than being kept behind columns or a portico. ... Steel engraving, an engraving technique, based on steel instead of copper or wood. ... An 1837 daguerreotype by Daguerre. ... Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819–March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. ... In political geography and international politics a country is a geographical entity, a territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Chinese poem Quatrain on Heavenly Mountain by Emperor Gaozong (Song Dynasty) Poetry (from the Greek , poiesis, a making or creating) is a form of art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its ostensible meaning. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Poetry (ancient Greek: poieo = create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ... Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819–March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. ... Song of Myself is a poem by Walt Whitman that was included in his book of poems Leaves of Grass. ... 1 I SING the Body electric; The armies of those I love engirth me, and I engirth them; They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them, And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the Soul. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... Facsimile of the Authors Proof. ...

Overview

This book is notable for its delight in and praise of the senses during a time when such candid displays were considered immoral. Where much previous poetry, especially English, relied on symbolism, allegory, and meditation on the religious and spiritual, Leaves of Grass (particularly the first edition) exalted the body and the material world. Influenced by the Transcendentalist movement, itself an offshoot of Romanticism, Whitman's poetry praises nature and the individual human's role in it. However, Whitman does not diminish the role of the mind or the spirit; rather, he elevates the human form and the human mind, deeming both worthy of poetic praise. Many regard William Shakespeare as the greatest English poet. ... Allegory of Music by Filippino Lippi. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. ... Various Religious symbols, including (first row) Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Bahai, (second row) Islamic, tribal, Taoist, Shinto (third row) Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, (fourth row) Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess, Maltese cross, pre-Christian Slavonic Religion is the adherence to codified beliefs and rituals that generally involve a faith in a spiritual... The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus (breath). Spirit- also the name of a popular musical group (rock genre) from the sixties. ... The human body is the entire physical structure of a human organism. ... In philosophy, materialism is that form of physicalism which holds that the only thing that can truly be said to exist is matter; that fundamentally, all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. ... Transcendentalism was a group of new ideas in literature, religion, culture, and philosophy that emerged in New England in the early-to mid-19th century. ... Wanderer above the sea of fog by Caspar David Friedrich Romanticism is an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in 18th century Western Europe during the Industrial Revolution. ... For other uses, see Mind (disambiguation). ...

Editions and origin

There is no definitive edition of Leaves of Grass—Whitman continually revised his masterwork, adding and occasionally removing poems. The first edition, published on July 4, 1855, at Fulton Street, Brooklyn, New York, was remarkable for its sense of novelty; the style and subject matter were almost entirely unknown before its publication. Whitman paid for and did much of the typesetting for the first edition, which he published anonymously. However, again flouting convention, a picture of Whitman appeared on the inside of the front cover, dressed in work clothes and a jaunty hat, arms at his side in a pose embodying the everyman persona he exalts in his poetry. July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ... NY redirects here. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances. ... Persona literally means mask , although it does not usually refer to a literal mask but to the social masks all humans supposedly wear. ...

The Drum-Taps section was added in 1865, after the death of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, Whitman's hero, had read and reportedly enjoyed the earlier version of Leaves of Grass, remarkably so at a time when much of the public had yet to accept the work. The last version of Leaves of Grass, called the Death Bed Edition, was published in 1892. By the time this last edition was completed, Leaves of Grass had grown from a small book of 12 poems to a hefty tome of almost 400 poems. As the volume changed, so did the pictures of Whitman used to illustrate them—the last edition depicts an older Whitman with a full beard and jacket, appearing more sophisticated and wise. 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Leaves of Grass has its genesis in an essay called The Poet by Ralph Waldo Emerson, published in 1843 (full text), which expressed the need for the United States to have its own new and unique poet to write about the new country's virtues and vices. Whitman, reading the essay, consciously set out to answer Emerson's call as he began work on the first edition of Leaves of Grass. When the book was first published, Whitman sent a copy to Emerson, whose letter in response helped launch the book to success. In his response, Emerson called the book "the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom America has yet contributed." This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Poet is an essay by U.S. writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, written between 1841 and 1843 and published in his Essays, Second Series in 1844. ... Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, poet, and leader of the Transcendentalist movement in the early nineteenth century. ... Year 1843 (MDCCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Virtue (Greek αρετη; Latin virtus) is the habitual, well-established, readiness or diposition of mans powers directing them to some goodness of act. ... Vice is the opposite of virtue. ...

Censorship controversy

In 1882, Boston district attorney Oliver Stevens, urged by the New England Society for the Suppression of Vice, wrote to Whitman's publisher, James R. Osgood: "We are of the opinion that this book is such a book as brings it within the provisions of the Public Statutes respecting obscene literature and suggest the propriety of withdrawing the same from circulation and suppressing the editions thereof." Stevens demanded the removal of the poems "A Woman Waits for Me" and "To a Common Prostitute", as well as changes to "Song of Myself", "From Pent-Up Aching Rivers", "I Sing the Body Electric", "Spontaneous Me", "Native Moments", "The Dalliance of the Eagles", "By Blue Ontario’s Shore", "Unfolded Out of the Folds", "The Sleepers", and "Faces". Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... The Watch and Ward Society was a Boston, Massachusetts organization involved in the censorship of books and the performing arts from the late 19th Century to the middle of the 20th Century. ... James R. Osgood (1836-1892) was an American publisher probably best known for his partnership with Mark Twain. ...

Whitman rejected the censorship, writing to Osgood, "The list whole & several is rejected by me, & will not be thought of under any circumstances." Osgood refused to republish the book, returning the plates to Whitman, who found a new publisher in Rees Welsh. The publicity due to the case ended up increasing sales when the book was reissued. Censorship is defined as the removal and withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body. ... Wikibooks has more about this subject: Marketing Look up publicity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Later criticism and fame

When the book was first published, Whitman was fired from his job at the Department of the Interior after Secretary of the Interior James Harlan read it and said he found it very offensive. The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally owned land. ... The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior, concerned with such matters as national parks and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... James Harlan (August 26, 1820 - October 5, 1899) was a member of the United States Senate and a U.S. Cabinet Secretary. ...

The anthology was featured in the film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love as the girls bond over reading it, and it also is the basis of some of the narration of the film. The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love is a 1995 film written and directed by Maria Maggenti about a romance between two female high school students, a butch white lesbian from a low social class lesbian household, and a black, better-off, heretofore straight girl. ...

The phrase "leaves of grass" also made an appearance in The Notebook. Whitman's poems played a role in the movie as well, with Noah (the main character) having read them growing up to recover from a stutter. A professor at Ally's college also writes the phrase on the chalkboard and asks the question, "Do I contradict myself?" The Notebook is a 1996 romantic novel by Nicholas Sparks that was later adapted into a popular romantic film in 2004. ...

20th century British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams's choral work Toward the Unknown Region features lyrics from the first poem, Darest Thou Now O Soul in book XXX (Whispers of Heavenly Death). A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ...

Former President Bill Clinton reportedly uses Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" to woo future wife and divorcee Hillary Clinton, as well as alleged affair Monica Lewinsky. William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947), was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, as the wife of President Bill Clinton. ... Monica Lewinsky on her U.S. Government ID Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973 in San Francisco) is an American woman with whom former United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an affair [1] while Lewinsky worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996. ...

Reference

Gary Schmidgall (1998), Walt Whitman: A Gay Life, Plume. ISBN 0-452-27920-8

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Leaves of Grass

• Leaves of Grass - The "Long Foreground"
• Leaves of Grass at Project Gutenberg
• Poets.org guide to Leaves of Grass
• Audio Book — complete & unabridged, public domain, Librivox Audio Recording of Leaves of Grass (1891 edition)
• An unusual technical analysis of Whitman's use of language occurs in “Figures of Repetition in Whitman’s ‘Songs of Parting’” - Bulletin of the New York Public Library, Vol. 69 #2, February 1965, Vernon V Chatman III. Available through New York Public Library