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One of the great innovators 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 masterpiece, written in a pure, uninhibited style, combining sensual and mystical sensibilities. Its bold, joyous voice, its expansive optimism, and its transcendental vision made it uniquely American.

The poems of Leaves of Grass are loosely connected, with each representing Whitman's celebration of his philosophy of life and humanity. This book is notable for its discussion of delight in sensual pleasures 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 exalted the body and the material world.

First published in 1855, when Whitman was 37, Leaves of Grass announced a new voice and style in American letters. It attempted to reach out to the common person with an optimistic epic that took the nation as its subject and encouraged readers to connect with nature and unite in a harmonious society where race and class are transcended.

Abraham Lincoln read it with approval, but Emily Dickinson described its bold language and themes as "disgraceful." And Ralph Waldo Emerson found Leaves of Grass "the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed," calling it a "combination of the Bhagavad Gita and the New York Herald."

The final and most personal work from Pulitzer Prize - winning author and historian Will Durant - discovered 32 years after his death - is a message of insight for everyone who has sought meaning in life or the council of a wise friend in navigating life's journey. From 1968 to 1978, Will Durant made four public allusions to the existence of Fallen Leaves. One, in 1975, hinted at its contents: "a not very serious book that answers the questions of what I think about government, life, death, and God."

When Walt Whitman self-published "Leaves of Grass" in 1855, he rocked the literary world and forever changed the course of poetry. In subsequent editions, Whitman continued to revise and expand his poems - but none matched the raw power and immediacy of the first edition. This volume presents the 1855 "Leaves of Grass" in its entirety, unchanged, along with Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous letter to Whitman.

Enter the world of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, a poetic masterpiece that celebrates the beauty and diversity of the human experience. Whitman's verses are an ode to life itself, an exploration of the soul, and a love letter to the American landscape. This audiobook is a journey through the poetic soul of one of America's most influential poets, embracing themes of nature, democracy, individuality, and the universal human connection. Whitman's words are a timeless invitation to explore the depth and breadth of the human spirit.

Walt Whitman's celebrated poetry collection, read by Ed Begley.

In 1855, Walt Whitman published, at his own expense, the first edition of Leaves of Grass, a visionary volume of 12 poems. Showing the influence of a uniquely American form of mysticism known as Transcendentalism, the writing is distinguished by an explosively innovative free-verse style and previously unmentionable subject matter. Exalting nature, celebrating the human body, and praising the senses and sexual love, this monumental work, now a classic of American poetry, was condemned as immoral upon publication.

In the preface to Leaves of Grass, Whitman states, "The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem". The themes of equality for all people, fertility, sacredness of self, beauty in death, love of comrades, and the immortality of the soul prevail.

Experience the power and beauty of Walt Whitman's epic masterpiece, 'Leaves of Grass.' Delve into the heart and soul of America, and discover the depth and breadth of the human experience through the eyes of one of the greatest poets of all time. Experience the power of literature to transcend boundaries of time, space, and culture, and to inspire and uplift the human spirit.https://www.solgood.org - Check out our Streaming Service for our full collection of audiobooks, podcasts, short stories, & 10 hour sounds for sleep and relaxation at our web site

Take a journey with me as I work through my past, my present, and my future, while also conversing with a diverse cast of guests about life.

This is the long first piece in the first edition of Walt Whitman's classic poetry collection. Among other things, it contains Whitman's philosophy of life and his opinion of the purpose of poets and poetry. Though created when he was in his mid-30s, Whitman spent much of the rest of his life rewriting Leaves of Grass.

In this delightfully absurd final work, the author presents a collection of trite yet beautiful sayings that defy poetic norms. With a humorous touch, he admits to intentionally stripping away any semblance of poetry, ensuring that no thought or suggestion could tarnish the most delicate sensibilities. Readers are advised to indulge in it slowly, savoring each piece rather than rushing to discover the fate of the romantic subplot. This book promises to lift your spirits, operating on the principle that similar ailments can cure one another. - Summary by Bill Nye

There can really be no excuse for this last book of trite and beautiful sayings. I do not attempt, in any way, to palliate this great wrong. I would not do so even if I had an idea what palliate meant. . . . I have taken great care to thoroughly eradicate anything that would have the appearance of poetry in this work, and there is not a thought or suggestion contained in it that would soil the most delicate fabric. Do not read it all at once, however, in order to see whether he married the girl or not. Take a little at a time, and it will cure gloom on the "similia simili-bus curanter" ...