Leaves of Grass

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Summary: About the Various Editions
Review:
I was familiar with the well-known poems and wanted to own "Leaves of Grass." I'm not going to review the poetry, but describe, hopefully to help others figure out what took me some research, its various editions.

In 1855 Whitman self-published "Leaves of Grass" as a 12-poem book. Up to 1892, he added poems and revised the original twelve poems -- books also published under the same title, "Leaves of Grass." In 1892, Whitman published (by then, recognized, not self-published) its final version, the edition he wanted to be thought the definitive "Leaves of Grass." This is the commonly called "Deathbed Edition." It contains over 300 poems. It does contain the original twelve, though not in their original or other previously-published forms. By then, they'd been many-times revised over the years, and released within other publications between the first and the last. In essence, "Leaves of Grass" was a nearly 40-year evolving work, under the same title, each edition containing the prior editions' poems further revised, plus additional poems.

I wanted to read the original poems. I also wanted to see their final versions, and was curious to see their evolution. I noticed that some books include so many evolutions of the poems/book, they fill at least two volumes. I wanted to own "Leaves of Grass" but I didn't need to become a scholar of it; I wanted to read the book. However, I didn't want only the Deathbed Edition -- I was both curious about the original and wanted to see more than 12 poems.

I decided to buy an edition of the book that contains the entire Deathbed Edition, plus a few of the poems in their original form, and some commentary. I believe, after researching, I found the best I could. That would be my recommendation: if this is your first purchase of "Leaves of Grass" make sure to see some poetry from 1855, some poetry from the Deathbed Edition, and some poetry in between. That is, if what you want to read is the poetry and not own a collector's item or only the "definitive edition," as Whitman viewed it (Deathbed). To me, seeing only the final version detracts something from its core -- and after reading the poems and comparing them, I feel this even more -- so in that sense I disagree with Whitman; he chose to make public many books over 40 years, yet wanted only the last to be considered the true version.

As a reader, I find it unfortunate that this is a work that evolved over a lifetime under the same title; it renders each addition of poems to the book not books of their own, and also difficult to find on their own. So, for me, the compromise was to choose a book that includes the Deathbed Edition and part of the original, without having to read multiple books, or 1,000 pages, or a scholarly journal (though I would love to see the full original 12 poems).

I understand a book will be released soon that includes both the full original (12 poems) and the full Deathbed Editions. I don't have it, so I don't know what else will be included.


Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Poems here
Review: Having read only tid bits, here and there, from Leaves of Grass, I found that it was full of truly unique American poetry. Whitman definitely achieved his goal of becoming a truly innovative poet. The fact that he rarely uses any type of meter, rhyme scheme, or exaggerated rhetorical devices almost says that he has mastered the basic fundamentals of poetry and surpassed his peers. He is so far above the simple and frequently used methods that he must create his own fresh and new style of writing. I found Leaves of Grass to be a lot to grapple with as a high school student, especially his philosophy pertaining to Deism, and yet, it was most intriguing and made me want to simply delve deeper into it. I look forward to completing Leaves of Grass and recommend it to anyone looking for truly original forms of American poetry.

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Summary: Walt Whitma's "Leaves of Grass"
Review: If you care for literature at all, even if your interest in it exceeds no further than reading the morning paper, Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass," is a must read. He is truly one of the greatest poets, revolutionaries, historians, and Americans to ever live. As a poet, Whitman lures his reader in with work exploding with passion and inexhaustable energy. As a revolutionist, he baisically tore up any rule book to writing, stripping away any limitations, and paving the path for further free, independent thinkers. He was unaffraid to rebel against the narrow-mindedness of his time, making himself a leader as one of the very first poets to ever use "free verse," a technique rellious on its own. In doing so, this great leader was criticized and looked on disapprovingly for his work during much of his life time, and like many other artists who dare to be unique, his true genius was never fully recognized until after his death. As a historian and as an American, Whitman has taken these works of his and has combined them into the nations most patriotic yet brutally honest text book.It is in writing of himself and his own personal experiences that Whitman imbeds the history of this country, both dark and nationalistic. Through his time working as a volunteer nurse to the wounded and dying soldiers during the Civil War, Whitman writes often of the terror of war, making it one of his most recognizable themes throughout much of his work. He also brings us back to a time in history in which those who believed in equal rights for all, including persons of every race a gender, was considered rebellious; for in such beliefs, Whitman took religions that placed severe restrictions over such things as sexuality, and attacked them. The reason I am so confident in recommending this book to any reader, is that you are given a selection of editions to choose from; the edition you choose for yourself, fitted to your familiarity with the poet. I cannot promise that will fall absolutely in love with this book, every person has their own tastes, however, I can promise that if nothing else, you will walk away from this book with appreciation and understanding the value in reading it.

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Summary: a classic of American poetry
Review: No doubt influenced by the free verse of ancient Greek poetry, Walt Whitman wrote about 19th c. America in the same way that the ancient Greek and Roman poets wrote about their own time and world. Much praised and criticized when it was first published, "Leaves of Grass" remains a wonderfully innovative, original, observant, wise, sensually unashamed, and heroic portrait of American identity, and a eulogy in praise of American people, places, ideas and things.

David Rehak
author of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

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Summary: America's First Great Poet
Review: Please forgive the presumptuous title of my review. But Walt Whitman was and still is one of the most influential poets I have ever read. He began life on a farm on Long Island, but times got bad and his family uprooted itself and moved to Brooklyn. Brooklyn at that time was a growing city unto itself and trades were needed. Thus Whitman learned the trade of printer. But his soul led him to a higher calling. He became a jounrnalist and wrote poetry. His early efforts did not amount to anything major. Yet sometimes the unimaginable happens in a man's life. A sudden thrust of inspiration strikes one like a bolt of lightning. Then something new and unique is born out of this inception - a new form of poetry - what is today referred to as free verse. Yes, Whitman is the father of the form, and perhaps one of its greatest practitioners. The beat poets who were to follow in his footsteps never really rose to his great height of mystic revelation. I think that's what the other reviewers are talking about when they refer to Whitman's religiosity. For Whitman was the poet of a new world, a new nation, a growing entity that would go on to fulfill an old dream of mankind. That is, the dream of a thoroughly new man, a man who was free from the past, a man who could find his soul was one with the fathomless cosmos. Hence, "Walt Whitman, a cosmos" is a very telling way Whitman has of describing himself to his reader.

My favorite poem by Walt Whitman is his "Song of Myself." It contains the seed of everything he had lived as a human being and every vision he would realize as a mystic of epic proportions. After that, I believe his next great poem was "I Sing The Body Electric." "Drum Taps" was also quite an interesting addition to "Leaves of Grass." Also, "When Lilacs Last In The Dooryard Bloomed" is Whitman at his poetic best.

So it is without any reservation that I am highly recommending "Leaves Of Grass" to all and sundry as a must read. Especially now, in the wake of 9/11 we need to reaffirm what it means to be American, and I know of no better American Visionary to help in this cause then Walt Whitman.

Rating:
Summary: Relevant for our time
Review: Walt Whitman's poetry, read in the context of the political and economic climate of the US today, gives us a perspective we seem to be unable to see. The purity of his writings on America might bridge the schisms we face as a country. Beautiful and powerful.
Sarah Pestana-New Jersey

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Summary: The great poet of America and the great American poet
Review: Whitman is the great poet of America and the great American poet. His song is not only of himself but of the American realities he meets and catalogues in his long cadenced lines. Whitman sings the song of America as yes in a way no one had before and no one will since. He is the American poet who captured the most of American reality in his lines . And he is the one who too speaks of it at the moment of its great outward expansion and hope, as a historical progress of ever rising ever more sweepingly inclusive cosmic concentrical circles. He is a writer who touches the stars, and above all reaches the sense of the light within us (When I heard the learned Astronomer) He touches upon American tragedy ( O Captain my Captain) and most deeply expresses it ( Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking) He is the one who takes all America as an adventure and feast for his eyes and lines. And his poem however ironically his own life and end comments on it symbolizes for America its great new dawn always opening toward new light and greater worlds westward and within.