Leaves of Grass

Walt Whitman

• Publisher: Big Cheese Books
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9789897781438
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Poetry
• Index: Literature

In 1855, Walt Whitman published — at his own expense — the first edition of Leaves of Grass, a visionary volume of twelve poems. Showing the influence of a uniquely American form of mysticism known as Transcendentalism, which eschewed the general society and culture of the time, 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, the monumental work was condemned as "immoral." Whitman continued evolving Leaves of Grass despite the controversy, growing his influential work decades after its first appearance by adding new poems with each new printing.

Book 1 — Inscriptions

One’s-Self I Sing

One’s-self I sing, a simple separate person,

Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse.

Of physiology from top to toe I sing,

Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse, I say

the Form complete is worthier far,

The Female equally with the Male I sing.

Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power,

Cheerful, for freest action form’d under the laws divine,

The Modern Man I sing.

As I Ponder’d in Silence

As I ponder’d in silence,

Returning upon my poems, considering, lingering long,

A Phantom arose before me with distrustful aspect,

Terrible in beauty, age, and power,

The genius of poets of old lands,

As to me directing like flame its eyes,

With finger pointing to many immortal songs,

And menacing voice, What singest thou? it said,

Know’st thou not there is but one theme for ever-enduring bards?

And that is the theme of War, the fortune of battles,

The making of perfect soldiers.

Be it so, then I answer’d,

I too haughty Shade also sing war, and a longer and greater one than any,

Waged in my book with varying fortune, with flight, advance

and retreat, victory deferr’d and wavering,

(Yet methinks certain, or as good as certain, at the last,) the

field the world,

For life and death, for the Body and for the eternal Soul,

Lo, I too am come, chanting the chant of battles,

I above all promote brave soldiers.

In Cabin’d Ships at Sea

In cabin’d ships at sea,

The bou...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Book 1 — Inscriptions
• Book 2
• Book 3
• Book 4 — Children of Adam
• Book 5 — Calamus
• Book 6
• Book 7
• Book 8
• Book 9
• Book 10
• Book 11
• Book 12
• Book 13
• Book 14
• Book 15
• Book 16
• Book 17 — Birds of Passage
• Book 18
• Book 19 — Sea-Drift
• Book 20 — By the Roadside
• Book 21 — Drum-Taps
• Book 22 — Memories of President Lincoln
• Book 23
• Book 24 — Autumn Rivulets
• Book 25
• Book 26
• Book 27
• Book 28
• Book 29
• Book 30 — Whispers of Heavenly Death
• Book 31
• Book 32 — From Noon to Starry Night
• Book 33 — Songs of Parting
• Book 34 — Sands at Seventy
• Book 35 — Good-Bye My Fancy