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Summary: America's great religious book
Review: I carry a copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass with me where ever I go. I think that it is America's great religious book; it contains just about everything one would need to know to live a good life.Whitman published many different editions of this book. The one I carry is the 1892 "death-bed" eddition, which contains virtually all the poetry he ever published. However I also own the "first" edition, published in 1855. In this version the poems are published without titles, so that each poem stands on its own, without any images guiding the reader before hand. I recommend either edition - or both!
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Summary: Leaves Of Grass
Review: I feel this book has the passion of life exploding in every word uttered by the poet. His unique style of transcending his thoughts to the readers liturally over powers my soul with sheer joy and love
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Summary: As Kiss As Does
Review: I hate literary types who venerate books and authors like some Virgin Mary and cannot see the problems-inherent. This book is REALLY BORING. Yes, he does have an amazing style of poetry that revolutionized literature, but it's still BORING. His poems, like Song of Myself drag on for like 100 pages rumbling over all sorts of thoughts, events, seemingly haphazardly chunked together without any real logical thread, and just DRAGS & DRAGS. I dare anyone to read this book cover to cover more than once.
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Summary: Whitman can be tedious but he's still important
Review: I have my issues with Walt Whitman's poetry.... but I cannot deny its importance. I think everyone should at least read a little of it. I've been forced to read Song of Myself so many times I can't stand it any more but somewhere in there are some really beautiful lines. But you have to deal with some... other ones sometimes. I don't really enjoy his poetry that much. I value it as important. This specific edition (ISBN: 0140421998) is a recreation of the very first edition of Leaves of Grass. Over the years Whitman added poems and changed some of these so you'd be reading the first draft of some things, so to speak. This is the best edition, in my opinion. It shows Whitman at his freshest and I think he second-guessed himself too much with some of the revisions. Plus this is a pretty thin edition so if you've never read Whitman then this could be a good starter. Don't get me wrong, people interested in poetry should read Whitman. But don't worry if you feel you must put it away afterwards.
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Summary: Clinton spoiled this for me
Review: I will never read this now. But I might give a copy to some gal so I can get laid. Ummmm, y-e-e-e-s!
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Summary: Spend some time with this fine poet
Review: I would heartily encourage you to spend some time
with this book. Whitman is a joy to read and his
love affair with language is extremely contagious.
As a poet, Whitman expanded the allowable bounds
of poetic expression and as such was one of the true
founders of free verse as a mode of expression.
He is one of the best voices in America's young
cutural foundation. This is a book which young
poets should spend a summer with: it will open your
imagination to a new degree
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Summary: Outstanding read!
Review: I've always been a fan of Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass has a poem that everyone can relate to. It has all the hope and romance of every individual young and old but also the strife and sadness we all experience. I take it everywhere I go!
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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.
Rating:
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: This is it
Review: If you read only one peice of American literature this should be it. Whitman is a true Amercian. He feels the way we feel and he has seen the things we see. No matter who you are you will you think that he has read your mind...only in no so modern english.
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