Leaves of Grass (Bantam Classics)
by Walt Whitman
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Book Summary Information
Author: Walt WhitmanEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1983-07-01
ISBN: 0553211161
Number of pages: 528
Publisher: Bantam Classics
Book Reviews of Leaves of Grass (Bantam Classics)
Book Review: Absolutely Indispensable
Summary: 5 Stars
Walt Whitman is one of the most famous, widely read, and influential poets - one of the few who can truly be said to have revolutionized poetry. Free verse's true originator, he broke free of formal shackles way back in 1855, nearly three quarters of a century before it became standard. He proved that great poetry could be written without traditional trappings - and it has never been the same. Many, including me, think it has gone too far in the other direction, but this is not Whitman's fault; his work is undeniably great, and we have in many was long since suffered weak imitations. There is simply no equaling him, much less replacing him; his work is as essential a part of American literature as Mark Twain's. He is indeed the Twain of verse, to be anachronistic - as monumental, all-important, and epoch-forming as Twain was in prose. Technicalities aside, this had almost as much to do with subject matter; Whitman famously self-proclaimed "America has a bard at last!" - and so it did. He freed American poetry from European heritage, making truly national art that both defined its era and instantly became timeless, speaking to the heart of all that America and Americans stood and stand for. The great poet of democracy, he preached the gospel of westward expansion, celebrated America's natural beauty, extolled its unique history and exciting new status, championed its values, chronicled the Civil War, dramatized the struggle over slavery and other national debates, and generally held forth about the country's unmatched cosmopolitanism in all areas from ethnicity to landscapes. He also somehow managed to write about sexuality with unprecedented openness and vigor, striking a blow against Victorian prudery that would eventually prove fatal and even laying the foundations for non-heterosexual identity. Accomplishing even one of these deeds would have been truly remarkable; Whitman did them all.
Yet he published only one poetry book - 1855's Leaves of Grass, which went through several updates through his 1892 death. He not only continuously added poems but extensively revised older ones, sometimes dropping some and moving others. For example, the original and final versions of his masterpiece Song of Myself are substantially different. Many key poems were there from the start, but some of the most famous and best - including the Civil War and associated Abraham Lincoln ones - came later. None of the many poems added late in life were nearly on par with prior masterpieces, but nearly all were worthwhile. Whitman wanted the 1892 edition to supersede the rest, and editors have nearly always complied; it is by far the most popular and widely available and the one that nearly all readers will want.
And what a version it is! - hundreds of poems plus several prose prefaces and a prose afterword over nearly five hundred pages. To have so much greatness in one book - especially from one person - is near-unbelievable; the depth of Whitman's achievement simply staggers. Nearly all the poems are worthy, and many are great; quite a few are pure masterpieces. Included are some of the all-time great poems like "Song of Myself," "I Sing the Body Electric," "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," "By Blue Ontario's Shore," and "Passage to India," plus many superb short poems. Anyone even remotely interested in poetry must be familiar with these; there have always been some for whom Whitman just does not click, but even they must be prepared to deal with him, so great is his influence.
Great as the 1892 Edition is, it is possible for both hard-cores and casuals to complain. Many of the latter will say that it is simply too imposing - too many poems, too many pages. I certainly would not advise anyone who has read very little or no Whitman to jump right in; it is definitely a lot to take in at once, and the poems are by no means of equal quality or importance. One would be far better off reading a selected edition first, but everyone should come here eventually; indeed, nearly all will want to after the first tantalizing taste. Conversely, diehards have always complained about various aspects, from poems it leaves out to various changes made to included ones. The most important omission in my view is Whitman's original prose introduction, which served as his poetic manifesto. The dedicated will of course want to seek out this and every version of every poem, but their complaints are of interest to very few. The 1892 Edition will satisfy nearly everyone.
This is not the most deluxe version; one can find various critical editions with extensive commentary, notes, etc. as well as variorum versions. However, this is one of the most widely available and is very affordable. Taking this into account, it has fairly generous supplemental material: a good basic Introduction, a short glossary and bibliography, and an index of titles and first lines with original and final publication dates. This is the ideal Leaves of Grass for most, but everyone should have it in some form. It is one of very few books truly essential for all. Even those who do not like poetry may well like Whitman, and anyone even remotely interested in American literature, history, or culture must be acquainted Leaves, so thoroughly has it penetrated popular culture and entered the American consciousness. Bookshelves missing this might almost as well be empty.
Summary of Leaves of Grass (Bantam Classics)
One of the great innovative figures in American letters, Walt Whitman created a daringly new kind of poetry that became a major force in world literature. Leaves Of Grass is his one book. First published in 1855 with only twelve poems, it was greeted by Ralph Waldo Emerson as "the wonderful gift . . . the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed." Over the course of Whitman's life, the book reappeared in many versions, expanded and transformed as the author's experiences and the nation's history changed and grew. Whitman's ambition was to creates something uniquely American. In that he succeeded. His poems have been woven into the very fabric of the American character. From his solemn masterpieces "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" and "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" to the joyous freedom of "Song of Myself," "I Sing the Body Electric," and "Song of the Open Road," Whitman's work lives on, an inspiration to the poets of later generations.Classics Books
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