Showing results for "Whitman" in Literature & Fiction

A collection of poems written by the revered American poet, essayist, and journalist. Included are selections from this most famous work, Leaves of Grass, as well as Drum Taps and Songs of Parting.

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.

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.

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.

In Walt Whitman Speaks, acclaimed author Brenda Wineapple draws from Traubel’s extensive interviews an extraordinary gathering of Whitman’s observations that conveys the core of his ethos and vision. Here is Whitman the sage, champion of expansiveness and human freedom. Here, too, is the poet’s more personal side - his vivid memories of Thoreau, Emerson, and Lincoln, his literary judgments on writers such as Shakespeare, Goethe, and Tolstoy, and his expressions of hope in the democratic promise of the nation he loved.

In this book, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet C. K. Williams sets aside the mass of biography and literary criticism that has accumulated around the work and person of Walt Whitman, and attempts to go back to Leaves of Grass as he first encountered it, to explore why Whitman's epic "continues to inspire and sometimes daunt" him. The result is a personal reassessment and appreciation of one master poet by another, as well as an unconventional and brilliant introduction - or reintroduction - to Whitman.

There is a reason the words of Walt Whitman have persisted in American literature, in literature at large, for so long. He was not simply a man of his time, not just a writer for the moment. Whitman was a man of the people and a writer of the soul—the souls of humankind, and the soul of America.

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."

Perhaps the first great and truly "American" poet, Walt Whitman's writing reflected the idealism and turbulence of the mid-19th century. His poetry broke new stylistic ground with its unconventional meter and rhyme schemes, yet celebrated democratic values, the beauty of nature, and the complex variety and vitality of American life.

Days with Walt Whitman offers an intimate, in-depth exploration of the life and works of the legendary American poet, Walt Whitman. Crafted meticulously by Edward Carpenter, a devoted follower of Whitman, this podcast features a collection of enthralling essays that delve into various facets of Whitmans life and creations. Carpenters narrative, grounded yet ecstatic, not only immortalizes Whitman but also reflects his profound understanding of ancient Sanskrit texts. Join us as we journey through the captivating world of Walt Whitman, as painted by Carpenter. - Summary by Czandra.

Leviathans stride the poetic stage, known to us all and revered by many. Their verse is at once familiar and yet constantly reveals new layers and depths, new ways of thinking and assembling words to reveal new truths, new feelings and above all new poetry.

The 1857 murder of Harvey Burdell shook the nation. Since then, it has spawned true crime books, scholarly essays, podcasts, and novels. Yet, one of the perhaps most famous chroniclers of the case has been forgotten: Walt Whitman. Follow a team of university researchers as they recover the Good Gray Poet's lost reporting on the case and unearth what the author of Leaves of Grass had to say about New York City's most notorious murder trial.

Walt Whitman stands out as one of poetry's towering anomalies: In celebrating the trees, water, sky and air, the bear, the eagle, the buffalo and the lion, Whitman expressed a uniquely democratic vision that engulfs not only the American continent but the entire universe. His passionate vehemence, his faith in the common man, and his unflinching pursuit of the truth gave form to an arsenal of ideas, inspiring and motivating generations of writers to come.

The Wound Dresser is a poignant collection of letters penned by Walt Whitman during the Civil War, capturing his experiences in Washingtons hospitals. Addressed to The New York Times, the Brooklyn Eagle, and his beloved mother, these heartfelt missives are expertly curated by Richard Maurice Burke, M.D., one of Whitmans literary executors. Join us as we delve into the raw emotions of war and the human spirit through Whitman’s eyes.

Embark on an enthralling journey through the streets of 19th-century New York with Walt Whitman's Life and Adventures of Jack Engle. This rediscovered literary treasure weaves a compelling tale of mystery, love, and the human spirit. Whitman's narrative skills shine as he guides you through the twists and turns of Jack Engle's life, bringing to life a vivid tapestry of characters and experiences. Immerse yourself in this captivating audiobook, a testament to Whitman's storytelling prowess and his enduring impact on American literature.

Immerse yourself in the compassionate and intimate world of Walt Whitman's The Wound Dresser. This profound collection of wartime writings offers a firsthand account of Whitman's experiences as a Civil War nurse. Through his heartfelt prose and vivid descriptions, Whitman provides an unfiltered view of the physical and emotional wounds of soldiers. This audiobook is a testament to the power of empathy, the healing touch of literature, and the enduring impact of one of America's greatest poets.

"The real war will never get in the books," Walt Whitman wrote in this diary he kept during the Civil War. Whitman chronicled his visits to Washington, D.C. hospitals where he comforted wounded men and assisted nurses and doctors. This journal, written by one of America's greatest poets and writers, captures the details and ironies of war.

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.