Product Description
Walt Whitman has long been regarded as the quintessential American bard, the poet who best represents all that is distinctive about life in the United States. Whitman himself encouraged this view, but he was also quick to remind his readers that he was an unlikely candidate for the office of national poet, and that his working-class upbringing and radical take on human sexuality often put him at odds with American culture. While American literary history has tended to credit Whitman with having invented the persona of the national outsider as the national bard, Edward Whitley recovers three of Whitman's contemporaries who adopted similar personae: James M. Whitfield, an African American separatist and abolitionist; Eliza R. Snow, a Mormon pioneer and women's leader; and John Rollin Ridge, a Cherokee journalist and Native-rights advocate.

These three poets not only provide a counterpoint to the Whitmanian persona of the outsider bard, but they also reframe the criteria by which generations of scholars have characterized Whitman as America's poet. This effort to resituate Whitman's place in American literary history provides an innovative perspective on the most familiar poet of the United States and the culture from which he emerged. ... Read more

Product Description
Walt Whitman: Shamanism, Spiritual Democracy, and the World Soul begins with a dream that sent the author, Steven B. Herrmann, on a journey to analyze the "shamanic structures" of the collective unconscious that are present in the poetry and prose of America's greatest bard, Walt Whitman.From a contemporary, analytical psychological point of view, Herrmann demonstrates how Whitman speaks to age-old sociopolitical and religious questions that are highly relevant to our world today. The book discusses topics including:• Whitman's Emergence as a World-Liberating Figure• The Three Stages of American Democracy• Bi-Erotic Marriage• Whitman's Religious VisionBased on extensive research into the roots of the American mythos, this book will be essential reading for literary, political, religious, and psychological studies.Steven B. Herrmann is a Jungian writer and psychotherapist and lives with his wife in the hills of Oakland, California. Publisher's Web site: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/WaltWhitman-Shamanism.html ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Who Knew?
Who knew?

In the middle of the 19th century, Walt Whitman burst full blown onto the world stage singing the body electric in poetic cadences never before heard, knowing of nothing but miracles, celebrating the spirituality of erotic sex, celebrating his Self--the Self,injecting joyous vivacity into the American experiment, and capturing the wonder of thoughtful human beings throughout the planet.In his remarkable new book, Walt Whitman,Shamanism, Spiritual Democracy, and the World Soul, Steven Herrmann makes it clear that the phenomenon of Walt Whitman is not only a relevant but a potent metaphor for the fulfillment of human beings in the first decade of the 21th century.Herrmann defines Whitman and his influence on us all with a thoroughness as has not been seen before. The Whitman unearthed in this book tapped intothe bedrock spiritual underpinning of ordinary reality.Walt Whitman,Shamanism, Spiritual Democracy, and the World Soul shows how fundamentally Whitman's voice continues to inform every strand of the web of 21st century life.

What an oeuvre!Herrmann's book is so inclusive and exhaustive that it will surely be a source book for anyone approaching Whitman from any discipline, be it quantum physics, psychology, literary criticism, religion, philosophy, the biology of sex-or the eating of plums at the farmers' market.

But I picture another reader.She is a college sophomore-with Herman Hesse and Joseph Campbell and maybe some Henry Miller and Friedrich Nietzche stacked up on her desk.She is not bent on a career; she is following her bliss; she is opening windows to her soul. She is part of the hidden remnant of any college-students and faculty and staff-who know the difference between a career and a vocation. Walt Whitman, Shamanism, Spiritual Democracy, and the World Soul connects the ideas of the Hesses, the Campbells, the Millers, the Nietzches, the Einsteins, the Jungs, and brings those ideas together in one coherent whole.What a splendid addition to that college student's small library.

And I see a gay man, the lesbian, reading this book and realizing their place in the world, and I see the Puritan opening his shirt to the spring thunder and lightning, celebrating the body in all its drives and ecstasy, and I see the staid philosopher and the physicist in his lab forgetting to go home for dinner.I celebrate my Self! they all sing out.I celebrate what I am.For while Steven Herrmann's book is likely to become a standard source book for sober academicians and anyone trying to understand what we are, what this world is,it drives home an awareness more personal and essential: the individuation of each human being-and thereby all being-ness.There is something wonderful going on in the world, a numinosity, a golden glow. That, in the end, as Steven Herrmann demonstrates, is what an understanding of Walt Whitman means to packets of quantum energy journeying day by day through the 21st century-the symbolic life, the encompassing of opposites, the embodiment of miracles.

Kudos from Matthew Fox
Kudos to Steven Herrmann and Walt Whitman: A Review of "Walt Whitman: Shamanism, Spiritual Democracy, and the World Soul" (2010) by Steven B. Herrmann.Published by Eloquent Books, Durham, Connecticut, ISBN 978-1-60911-699-6.

By Matthew Fox

Thanks to Walt Whitman and to Carl Jung and to William Everson, mentors to the author whose in-depth probing of Whitman's work unveils a treasure house of profound building blocks toward forging a post-modern spirituality.Just as Whitman has been credited with re-inventing poetry through free verse, so with this study we get a feel for how authentically he also accomplished a reinvention of religion.He and Herrmann are to be praised.As Whitman put it, "The people, especially the young men and women of America, must begin to learn that religion, (like poetry), is something far, far different from what they supposed.It is indeed too important to the power and perpetuity of the new world to be consign'd any longer to the churches, old or new, Catholic or Protestant--Saint this, or Saint that.It must be consign'd henceforth to democracy en masse, and to literature.It must enter into the poems of the nation.It must make the nation."(p. 264)

Whitman's spiritual genius breaks out everywhere in this profound study.Consider his position on spiritual democracy that is so inclusive of women's wisdom and experience."Democracy, in silence, biding its time, ponders its own ideals, not in literature and art only--not of men only, but of women.The idea of the women of America, (extricated from this daze, this fossil and unhealthy air which hangs about the word lady,)develop'd, raised to become robust equals, workers, and, it may be, even practical and political deciders with the men--greater than man, we may admit, through their divine maternity, as always their towering, emblematical attribute--but great, at any rate, as man, in all departments." (230)These words written multiple decades before women even had the right to vote!
Consider his position on deep ecumenism--and how it begins with the lower chakras ("throbbings") in dance, where all shamanism begins, with our connection to the earth, and is cosmic because it embraces "all the voices of the universe."

I hear the dance music of all nations...bathing me in bliss.
Give me to hold all sounds, (I madly struggling to cry,)
Fill me with all the voices of the universe,
Endow me with their throbbings, Natures also,
The tempests, waters, winds, operas and chants, marches and dances,
Utter, pour in, for I would take them all! (p. 231)

Consider his 150 year ahead-of-his-time inclusion of same-sex marriage as part of spiritual democracy.And consider his call for a truly cosmic and universal creation-based "spiritual democracy."All his songs resonate with the labor groans of an emerging post-denominational, ecumenical, eco-based and justice-based spirituality yearning to be born in our time.

To entertain the themes that emerge from this in-depth study of Walt Whitman is like standing underneath a refreshing waterfall on a hot summer day.Here are some of them: vocation; work; joy; ecstasy; sacred body; mystical sexuality; evolution of consciousness; nature--trees!; animals (green man); conscience, justice; religion's failure; Europe's failures; chant and spiritual praxis; mysticism; prophecy; evil; "vocalism," i.e., art as meditation; the return of the feminine; native American wisdom; democratizing of spirituality including ecstasy, prophecy and conscience; ecology; earth consciousness; deep ecumenism; symbolic existence, metaphor; throat chakra; drum, ecstatic dance and ritual.

As institutional religion continues to embarrass itself and lost its grip and interest and moral legitimacy with ever new revelations of hypocrisy, priestly pedophilia, hierarchical privilege and cover-up, heresy-hunting, denunciations of science, homophobia, sexism, power addictions, fear, selling of cheap guilt, conniving with empire-builders and just plain boredom masquerading as worship, Whitman's invitation to an ecumenical, earth-based spirituality calls all the louder to souls hungry for solid, sane and intelligent spirituality.This book serves up many deep and tasty dishes.Wisdom food abounds.We are famished.We are ready!
Let Walt Whitman speak:

"If anything is sacred the human body is sacred." (183)
"Why, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me, I know nothing else but miracles." (265)
"Comradeship, uniting closer and closer not only the American States, but all nations,
and all humanity.That, O poets! Is that not the theme worth chanting, striving for?
Why not fix your verses henceforth to the gauge of the round globe?The whole race...
contributed by every nation, each after its distinctive kind." (264)

Herrmann comments: "The idea of a new post-Judaic, post-Christian, post-Islamic, post-Hindu, post-Taoist, post-Buddhist religion is unique to America and the multi-culturalism that Whitman achieves in `Passage to India' and "Democratic vistas' is what makes him so unique among the poet-shamans of the world." (267) Indeed.His time has come.So has ours.This book opens needed doors for all of us.Dare we enter them?Dare we leave behind what we must to travel more lightly through these opened doors?Time will tell.And time is running out.
... Read more

Product Description
Harold Bloom, author of The Western Canon and one of the world's most renowned literary critics, surveys Walt Whitman's vast poetic work, from early notebook fragments of Song of Myself to the late poems of Good-bye My Fancy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

WONDEFUL LITTLE COLLECTION, BUT......
To begin, I love this particular series - the American poets Project.The books, around 25 to 30 in number so far, cover a wide range of American poets; some well know, others not so well known.The books are extremely inexpensive but well made and make some wonderful poetry available to all.

This is a select collections of poems by Walt Whitman (I know, I state the obvious) and I must say that it is a nice introductory selection.The reader upon completion will be exposed to Whitman's wide range and come away with a good feeling and a nice start of further reading of this amazing poet.

The collected works here are great.I have no problems with the selections what so ever.Now one of the strengths of this series is that the publishers have chosen some of our leading critics, academics and poets to write an introduction to each book in the series.I have learned much from these introductions in just about all the offerings so far.

Alas, I must tell you that I was much less than satisfied with the particular introduction to the work being reviewed here.The publishers, for reasons known only to themselves, chose Harold Bloom.I fully admit that this is a case of personal preference on my part and that I respect professor Bloom's intellect, education and station in life fully.He is a bit of a genius and certainly one of the leading critics with us today.My problem lies in that I cannot stand his writing.To be more specific, I simply cannot understand a word the man puts to paper!He absolutely grates on my nerves.

I suffered through Bloom's"The Western Cannon," twice, as a matter of fact - thank you very much, and came out of the experience learning absolutely nothing.Bloom writes so far over my head that he might as well be writing in a foreign language I know nothing of.His obscure literary references go on and on to the point that I am not at all sure he himself knows what he is saying. Pretentious and arrogant and too quick to bash so many contemporary authors, Boom rather give be a headache. I made some notes on his introduction to this small collection, and conservatively figure I would have to read solidly for at least ten years before I became even vaguely familiar with the works and poets he references. Even then, I doubt seriously if I would understand enough of these works to make heads or tales of what Bloom writes.

Now this is a pity.As I said, I have no doubt that Bloom is a very well educated man and is certainly due respect.I hold those that understand his babblings in absolute awe, and I must admit, intellectually envy.The problem is, that as brilliant as Bloom may be, he is simply incapable of transferring his vast literary knowledge on to lesser people.These little books are nice collections; sort of introductions for the common reader.If the information provided by the author is incomprehensible, then it is useless information.I was able to understand and relate to about five percent of the information written here and it was wonderful information.Alas, the other 95 percent was wasted paper and would have been put to better use in recording more of Whitman's work. I suppose that for those that have graduated from Yale, Harvard or any of the other fine schools our country has to offer, and if they have advanced degrees in American and European Literature, then Bloom's pontifications may be of some use.Not so with me. I never had the opportunity nor the inclination to do so.That does not mean I do not love and, in my own little way, appreciate good poetry.But hey, that is just me.

Sorry Bloom; as a card carrying member of the unwashed, semi-literate masses, you leave me cold.

Other than that, I must give this work five stars...hey, its Whitman!

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

It's Whitman...
All of Whitman's work is public domain, so you can find it online for free.The only reason to buy this book is if you want a hard copy.

A fair representation of the representativeAmerican poet
This collection contains twenty- four pieces from the work of America's greatest poet. Whitman is the quintessential American poet the one who speaks for the heart of the nation, the great cataloguer of its vast varied landscape and life. Great poems such as"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed" and " I sing the body electric" provide the reader here with a true sense of Whitman's work.
Whitman with all his greatness can at times be plodding and tiring, and turn the open- road catalogue into a formula-like list. But mostly he is the celebrator of the American people in their great outward expansion through their own cosmic continent.
This work is represents fairly the one who even in his own time Emerson saw as thegreat representative American poet.

Good introduction to Whitman
This review is about the Dover Thrift Editions publication entitled "Walt Whitman Selected Poems" [Unabridged].119 pgs.

If you are any kind of fan or student of Walt Whitman, you probably own (or at least know of) "Leaves of Grass", which is THE definitive collection of Whitman's work, as it contains virtually all of his poems.Over the course of his lifetime, he continually added, revised and reorganized his material, right up until his death in 1892.Several additional poems were added to the 1897 posthumous edition, but the 24 poems chosen for this particular collection ("Selected Poems") appear unabridged and in the original chronology, as they appeared in the final Whitman edition of `Leaves' in 1892.

The Table of Contents lists both the names of the poems and the Section titles under which they fall in `Leaves', for easy cross-reference if you feel so inclined.In the rear of this book are two lists that readers who are already familiar with Whitman's work might find helpful for easier reference - Alphabetical List of Titles & Alphabetical List of First Lines - although readers who are new to Whitman may find no use in them at all.

In short, this book is good (and CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!!) for those who merely wish to acquaint themselves with one of America's most well known 19th century Poets.However, if you already have an appreciation for Whitman, you might do better sticking with `Leaves of Grass' (which you probably already own or have read anyway!).I have given this book 4 stars, from a new student perspective.It would have been nice to have a little bit of biographical info on Whitman to round out the experience, but you can't beat this book for the price! ... Read more

Product Description

Indulge Yourself with the best classics literature on Your PDA. Navigate easily to any chapter, section or poem from Table of Contents or search for the words or phrases.

Customer Reviews (3)

Another 5 star review...
This is an excellent book, full of wonderful material that has been well-presented by the publisher. The indexes are active for every piece of prose and poetry. Even the alphabetical list and biography have active indexes. The only minor problem is that the pieces all run together- the publisher should have left at least one line of space between pieces to separate them.

Perfect format for the Kindle!
I've purchased over 20 of these complete author collections from this publisher. I have purchased William Shakespear, Charles Dckens, Mark Twain, Edgar Alan Poe, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Jule Verne, Oscar Wilde, Alexander Dumas, and a few others. These collections work superbly on the Kindle. Take Mark Twain collection. The collection includes huge number of Mark Twain's works all in one place, searchable and well-organized. If I would have purchased all these books separately, searching for `The Gilded Age' among hundreds of other books on my Kindle would be a nightmare. With Mobile Reference collections, I simply click `Works of Mark Twain', then click Novels> `The Gilded Age'. I can also click `List of works in alphabetical order' > `G' > `Gilded Age'. If I forget the book title but remember that `The Gilded Age' was written by Mark Twain early in his career, I can click on `List of works in chronological order' > (1873) `The Gilded Age'.

If I want another author, say, Charles Dickens, I click `Home' > `Works of Charles Dickens'. If I want Dostoevsky, I click `Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky'. I think this format is perfect for organizing books on the Kindle.

Inside collections, each book has links to chapters and footnotes. The text is nicely formatted and seems to be complete and accurate - something that cannot always be said about inexpensive ebooks. I think these collections are great bargains both in terms of saved money, time, and book organization!

Kindle edition of Whitman's Masterwork
Works of Walt Whitman. Including Leaves of Grass, Specimen Days, Drum Taps and more.


This collection of poetry has much to offer to a variety of readers. Whitman covers every aspect of life. If you love poetry, this is a great read. ... Read more

Product Description
Affordable collection of more than 80 poems by 50 American and British masters celebrates travel, adventure and the many real and metaphorical journeys each of us take in the course of ourlives. Works by Whitman, Byron, Millay, Sandburg, Service, Bliss Carman, Robert Louis Stevenson, John Masefield, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Shelley, Tennyson, Yeats, many others. Note.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Alittle bit of poetry while you travel
All the famous poets contribute to this little travel book.I enjoyed reading it at breakfast as it takes you away.It certainly would be a good travel companion - just to read and relax.

Nice collection of poetry
I really enjoyed this collection of poems, which ranged from the familiar to the unfamiliar, both in terms of poems and in poets. Some poems I'd read before, and I was aware of a few lines from others in this thin book, but others were new to me, and I enjoyed being introduced to some ones I hadn't read before. The price on this book makes it a great value!

A poem in your soul wherever you go
This collection is divided into three sections, "Songs for the Open Road", "Sea, Rail and Sea","Home, Rest, and Final Voyages". It contains many of the best- loved poems in the English language, poems not necessarily associated with subjects of Travel and Adventure, though they may touch upon them.
One of the great examples is an Emily Dickinson selection"

"There is no frigate
like a book
To take us
Lands away.

Nor any corvette
like a page
of prancing
Poetry.

This traverse
may the poorest take
Without the oppress
of Toll.

How frugal
is the Chariot
that bears a human soul.

The title poem is from Whitman, and it sets the tone for what should be a highly enjoyable vogage, of mind, heart and soul.

Best book value I know.
It's hard to believe how many of the best poems in English are in this thin little book -- ninety poems for a dollar. I second the action of the Poetry Project in giving it free to lots of people. Buy one for your glovecompartment, your office, your study, and your best reader friend! ... Read more

Product Description
This poetic masterwork not only redefined poetry, it helped to shape the definition of what it means to be American. The writer and his world are evoked in this special edition by a fascinating selection of archival materials, including excerpts from seven different versions of introductions to the book in Whitman's own hand. All royalties from the Collector's Editions will be used to preserve and support the collections of The New York Public Library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

All the stars in Heaven are not enough to rate these poems.
July 4 is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass."This volume, if not the single greatest achievement in American letters, is certainly one of them.When I first read "Leaves of Grass" I felt jolted, as if great, loving hands had grabbed me and shaken me into consciousness.I felt live.I'd never read anything remotely like it.Until that moment, I had no idea that simple, everydays words, could be used to such ebullient effect.Since its publictaion it has come to be thought of as an almost holy text.Indeed, there is something almost Christ-like in the love of nature and humanity that Whitman conveys.Even through the bloody civil war and the assassination of our beloved President Lincoln, Whitman was able to find life affirming beauty and hope.That this was composed by an openly gay man edifies all gay people. ... Read more

Product Description
Bajo el t&#237tulo Hojas de Hierba, Walt Whitman, (1819-1892), author de existencia bohemia, fue modelandosu forma de decir y expresar. En las distintas ediciones de esta obra Whitman plasmas todo su proceso evolutivo literario.

El texto que aquí publicamos corresponde a la versi&#243n completa y definitiva que supervisaron sus albaceas literarios. Su forma de expresi&#243n es original; a caballo entre la poes&#237a l&#237rica y la prosa po&#233tica, muestra una especie de paralelismo m&#237stico y una simpat&#237a desbordante por lo humano.

Su obra va dirigida a mentes sensibles y liberades del corsé tradicional.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

una fuente de la poesía actual
"Quien toca este libro, toca a un hombre" decía Whitman, y esto se aplica perfectamente a Leaves of Grass, u Hojas de Hierba. Al leer esta obra, una de las principales obras de la poesía universal. Uno puede palpar y casi degustar el canto hermoso y sentido que Whitman hace al mundo que lo rodea (EE.UU. de mediados del XIX), pero que es un canto a todo lo que regala la vida, y todo lo que se puede disfrutar y poetizar de la naturaleza. Sin duda Whitman logra entregarnos una sincera alabanza a la existencia, y a todo lo simple que regala el mundo, lo que comprende especialmente la naturaleza, la gente simple, el contacto con los personajes típicos, como por ejemplo los esclavos de su tiempo. El vigor y la potencia de la voz poética de Whitman, exenta totalmente de racionalismo o intelectualismo filosófico agrio y pesado, no han sido aún superadas por poeta alguno, y Hojas de Hierba es la prueba fehaciente de ello. Un volumen fundamental de la poesía universal, que nos describe uno de los más infatigables alientos poéticos de la historia, infaltable en las bibliotecas de poetas, o bien en la bilbioteca familiar.

Excelente
Creo que es uno de los mejores libros de poesía americana que he leido ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Essence of Walt Whitman
As we pass through another period in our history where unspeakable wars seem imminent, the great poets of the present and past draw focus, attempting to sound the alarm that might just possibly awaken us.And always chief among those poets who felt the folly and shame of war is Walt Whitman.So it is no wonder that collections of his poems re-surface and hopefully nourish a generation of young people who face the possibility of following the lifted sword.

Whitman's voice, in this collection from the Calamus poems, is turned toward a more personal declaration of intimacy between men rather than fist-shaking against war.In a beautifully designed and curated format, David Groff has selected poems that are enhanced by Richard Berman's selection of photographic images to allow the reader to listen more carefully to the thoughts of the master.Here we are not ask to weep as with "The Wound Dresser": here we celebrate the comradery and love between the living.The sensitive photographs are the contributions of John Dugdale, Mark Beard, Robert Flynt, Bill Jacobson, Russell Maynor, Frank Yamrus and Steve Morrison, and while none of these images is "illustrational", each embellishes the poetry in a way one believes Walt Whitman would mightily approve.A beautiful volume this.

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE
Not only is this a book of beautiful photographs beautifully reproduced, it also has many of Walt Whitman's wonderful Calamus poems from his classic "Leaves of Grass."

The seven male, contemporary photographers represented in the book are all dealing in their images with the themes set forth in Whitman's poetry:loss, love of life and nature and mankind, death, love of man for man, loneliness, companionship, etc.:a man bathing in a tin tub in a John Dugdale cyanotype; two men embracing underwater in a mysterious Robert Flynt image; a man, stripped to the waist, standing alone staring at the camera, in what seems an old, empty house in the hand-colored photograph by Mark Beard; Russell Maynor's color Poloroid of a young, male nude---all of the 76 fascinating photographs in this small, perfectly put together volume deserve to be seen, seen again and shared.

And then, of course, there are always Whitman's magnificent words:"...Doubtless I could not have perceived the universe, or written one of my poems, if I had not freely given myself to comrades, to love."VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ... Read more

Product Description
In December of 1862, having read his brother's name in a casualty list, Walt Whitman rushed from Brooklyn to the war front, where he found his brother wounded but recovering. But Whitman also found there a "new world," a world dense with horror and revelation.
Memoranda During the War is Whitman's testament to the anguish, heroism, and terror of the Civil War. The book consists of journal entries extending from Whitman's arrival on the front in 1862 through to the war's conclusion in 1865. Whitman details his encounters with soldiers and doctors, meditates on particular battles and on the meanings of the war for the nation, and recounts his wordless though peculiarly intimate public exchanges with President Lincoln, a man Whitman saw often on the streets of Washington and by whom he was deeply fascinated. The book offers an astounding amalgam of death portraits, anecdotes of battle, last words, messages to distant loved ones, and remarkably restrained and muted descriptions of pain, dismemberment, and dying--all of it, however grim, suffused with Whitman's undiminished enthusiasm and affection for these young soldiers. And throughout, we find Whitman laboring with heroic determination to sustain and nourish his once-ardent faith in America and American life, even as the nation unleashed unprecedented violence upon itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Avoid this edition!
Avoid this edition at all hazards! Coviello's introduction is merely a celebration of Whitman's homosexuality, a fact that, in truth, has no bearing on the narrative whatsoever. Look for the Applewood Books edition. It can be had much cheaper and contains Whitman's words only.

A First-Person Account of the Assassination of Lincoln.
From 1862-65, Walt Whitman visited hospitals, camps and fields of hospital tents, over six hundred visits or tours and ministered to 80,000 to 100,000 wounded and sick.He wrote letters for them. To his dismay, he found far more Union Southerners, especially from Tennessee, than he expected.After the Battle at Columbia, Tennessee, no Rebels were left alive."They let none crawl away, no matter what his condition."

Hero stories are almost always myths.MEMORANDA DURING THE WAR is made up of articles published in the New York 'Weekly Graphic' and published in 1876 to go along with his special "Centennial Editon" of 'Leaves of Grass.'

"I shall not easily forget the first time I saw Abraham Lincoln. It was a rather pleasant spring afternoon on 19th of February, 1861, in New York City."Whitman was from Brooklyn, New York."The figure, the look, the gait, are distinctly impressed upon meyet; the unusual and uncouth height, the dress of complete black, the stovepipe hat..., the dark-brown complexion, the seamed and wrinkled yet canny-looking face, the black, bushy head of hair, the disporportionately long neck...."He describes Lincoln as having eyes with a deep latent sadness in the expression.Mrs. Lincoln, too, when she ventured out always wore black.

At the first Inauguration, Lincoln's carriage had been surrounded by a dense mass of armed cavalrymen eight deep, with drawn sabres; and there were sharp-shooters stationed at every corner on the route.Four years later, he was in his plain two-horse barouche with his ten year old son, with no soldiers, only a lot of civilians on horseback, with huge yellow scarfs over their shoulders.

April 14, 1865, a day to be remembered, as President and Mrs. Lincoln attended a performance at Ford's Theatre; at intermission, a shot was heard.Booth, dressed in plain black broadcloth, bare-headed, with a full head of glossy, raven hair, and his eyes like some mad animal's flashing with light and resolution, yet with a strange calmness, jumps to the stage holding a large knife.After he sprains his ankle, he turns around and looks at the audience his face of statuesque beautuy, lit by those basilisk eyes, flashing with desperation...launches out in a firm and steady voice the words, "Sic semper tyrannis."

At the Cemetery in Andersonville, with its thirteen thousand graves, on the slope of a beautiful hill in June, 1875, he wrote: "And now, to thought of these -- on these graves of the dead of the War, as on an altar -- to memory of these, of North or South, I close and dedicate my book."

Whitman was an old man with a bushy white beard and white hair in the photograph by Matthew Brady in 1863.The first part by Peter Goviello appears to be a thesis on this particular book.He is an English professor at Bowdoin College, and previously published INTIMACY IN AMERICA: DREAMS OF AFFILIATION IN ANTEBELLUM LITERATURE.I didn't know there was such a thing, but then I took English Lit. and learned American Lit. by typing the exams for my college teacher/husband who taught both.

The Real Life Civil War
Walt Whitman, upon hearing the news of the wounding of his brother George at the battle of Fredericksburg , took off from New York City to find him on the battlefields of Virginia. After discovering him at a hospital, and spending time with his company, Whitman decided to live in Washington DC. His sojourn there, which last many years, is brilliantly recounted in the simple book "Memoranda During the War".

While working at the Patent Office during the war, Whitman volunteered much time caring and tending the wounded at the many Civil War hospitals that sprang up to take care of the men. Whitman would bring the men simple treats, such as fruit, or paper, or things to read, and spend hours tending to these brave men. This book is a recollection, however brief, of those times he spent caring for the men, including some important events of the time.

While people learn about the history of the Civil War by memorizing dates and places, they often miss the impact of the Civil War. Whitman's book brings the impact of this war into real contexts. Even he, in his writing, says that the true reality of this war may be unknowable to those who would never see it. Whitman attempts to correct this by telling stories of the wounded soldiers he tends; stories of battles; and a particularly gruesome story of a raid gone bad and its horrific consequences.

Whitman's prose is succinct and touching. The few soldier's lives he manages to capture on paper, some in just a few sentences, are compelling. Anyone wanting to understand this war certainly should spend an hour with Whitman as he describes his small part in this grand conflict, for with his words, comes a grander understanding of this war.

Treasure
How great that this amazing book was liberated from the dusty
shelves of the Library of Congress rare books collection.
In a weird way, it's sort of like Walt Whitman's "On The Road,"
except HIS On the Road was the Civil War.It's a touching, sad,
glorious & never boring book.Perhaps the most incredible thing about the prose is how "modern" it reads; and isn't it sad, about humanity in general, how Walt's accounts from 1862-1865 are still TOTALLY relevant today, in 2005; and will probably remain TOTALLY
relevant for as long as human beings occupy this blood-stained planet.

Superb additional material for Civil War Introduction
I read this book while also reading "Don't Know Much About the Civil War" and Lincoln's letters and speeches.What a wonderful view intothe century that gave rise to this great one.If you are planning to coverthe civil war, or even the nineteenth century in America, this would be acentral piece to help modern readers understand that time.Whitman's prosestyle is very modern. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Walt Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" is an enduring celebration of the imagination. Here, Whitman's wise words are beautifully recast by New York Times #1 best-selling illustrator Loren Long to tell the story of a boy's fascination with the heavens. Toy rocket in hand, the boy finds himself in a crowded, stuffy lecture hall. At first he is amazed by the charts and the figures. But when he finds himself overwhelmed by the pontifications of an academic, he retreats to the great outdoors and does something as universal as the stars themselves...

he dreams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Respect your child's imagination
Too often we underestimate a child's ability to appreciate quality.We fail to expose them to literature and art worth respecting and assume they can only enjoy the easy and the gawdy.Illustrator Loren Long is the father of two boys and he knows better.His illustrations are wonderful and he knows that children are capable of appreciating the honesty and humor of the little boy who leaves an astronomer's lecture to gaze in "perfect silence at the stars." To underscore the idea that children can participate in so-called adult matters, his sons offer a bit of their own artistic interpretation to this book.What better way to allow children the pleasure of appreciating quality than to introduce them to the illustrations of Loren Long and the poetry of Walt Whitman.This is a special book!

An Antidote for the Ignorant Left Brainers
I have purchased this book for all of my extended family members.Loren Long's portraits are, consciously or subconsciously, the answer to most of what ails humanity...ignore pretense, sometimes parents will unintentionally lead you astray, question everything, don't be easily impressed, don't control or be controlled, ignore the masses, listen to your body, inspire change, FEEL!, bridge the seen and unseen, reflect, the truth is out there, the smallest light is most easily seen in darkness.And most importantly, reciprocity in flight.It's all there for those who see and feel with their hearts rather than their eyes and hands.

Not for everyone
The drawings for this book are amazing and have a dreamy quality (almost out of focus, but not quite) but they are a little on the dark side and thus difficult to make out for bedtime reading. The book is of course based on the enchanting Walt Whitman poem ("When I heard the learn'd astronomer; When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me; When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and
measure them; When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room, How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick; Till rising and gliding out, I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time, Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars"). The fact that this book is a short read and may not be ideal for a dark room may put off some parents - just so you know.

A book with staying power
My twin daughters were riveted by this book when they were just over three-years-old. They returned to it again and again.It had a quiet, solemn quality that I thought might go over their heads, but it seemed like the opposite was true.There was a lovely synthesis of poetry and image that gave this staying power.It's time to get a copy again to see how they respond.But I'd avoid hypothetical statements of "most children won't understand...(blah, blah, blah).Try 'em, and maybe they'll show you something unexpected.

Uncle Walt rules
I wish I had this book when I was teaching 19th-century American literature to college freshmen. I bought a few weeks ago and have been reading it to my daughters--the oldest is 5. She loves the art, and so do I. Tonight, out of the blue, she recited most of the poem to me over dinner--we had never before worked on memorizing this or any other poem, but I had mentioned to her that this would be a good poem to memorize. Looks like she agreed. I'm forever grateful to Loren Long for giving Walt to my daughter at such an early age.

I can't seem to understand the negativity expressed by some of the other reviewers. To call this poem anti-intellectual doesn't make much sense to me. It does, however, make sense to balance intellectual inquiry with the wonder and appreciation afforded by observation. The reviewer who mentions sharing his telescope ought to agree, since the children who peer through it clearly are excited by wonder--otherwise, why not just Google "Saturn" and find even better images? Gazing up at the sky--whether with the eye or through a telescope--excited the imagination, and there's something to be said for contemplating the stars in silence. What astronomer hasn't? ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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One of 60 low-priced classic texts published to celebrate Penguin's 60th anniversary. All the titles are extracts from "Penguin Classics" titles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Inspirational
Song of Myself is an enjoyable, circuitous trek through the United States of the mid-19th century - and the very human feelings and observations are still true and now.

Whitman's Masterpiece
Song of Myself is Walt Whitman's masterpiece and thus one of the greatest poems ever. The major work in the initial Leaves of Grass edition, he labored on it until the final 1881 version. There is some disagreement about various versions' merits, but it is clear to me and most others that the last is definitive - nay, near-perfect. However, the differences are often greatly exaggerated; they are really quite small, confined mostly to punctuation and section breaks. The first version has eccentric punctuation, including an astounding number ellipses, and lacks sections; the final has essentially standard punctuation and many sections. The poem is virtually the same in both but far easier to read in the latter. This edition is ideal for those wanting to compare them. That said, the poem's genius was overwhelmingly clear from the first. Whitman's mini-epic is indeed a song of himself in that he was the first modern poet to be frank about his mind and, more ground-breakingly, his body. He unashamedly relays thoughts about everything from landscapes to politics to race but also viscerally describes physical reactions to everything from manual labor to homosexual stimuli. Song is that truly rare poem that satisfies both intellectually and on a more primal level. The former comes via Whitman's Emerson-influenced transcendentalism. His near-pantheistic view of life, nature, God, and humanity is sweepingly awe-inspiring; he vividly portrays the unity and divinity of all. Like Emerson, his work is in the best sense inspirational; his vision of human divinity and possibility is a welcome one that has given pep to millions. Whitman also set out to be the first real poet of America and democracy, and Song is the fullest expression of this. Almost every aspect of America is celebrated:its unparalleled natural resources, its cosmopolitan population, its social and political institutions, etc. Celebrated perhaps above all is the American spirit:vast yet expanding, liberty-loving, and in the truest sense democratic. Whitman can make even the most hardened American feel patriotic; it is very hard not to be affected by his panorama of America's mostly untapped greatness. Yet the poem is far from jingoistic; it indeed gives us much to think about through its presentation of problems then facing the nation, especially sexual and racial oppression. In short, the greatest tribute to Song is that it contains as much of America as any poem can - indeed, far more than anyone could have thought possible. One must also not fail to mention its ground-breaking form. Whitman is of course credited with popularizing - and all but introducing - free verse in America, and Song was its major exponent. His long, unrhymed lines match his subject, which is far too large to be otherwise contained; few poems fit form to content more thoroughly. So powerful and engrossing is this that it enchants even me, normally a passionate traditional verse advocate. Whitman's genius, especially here, is so great that it transcends everything; his stature and influence are such that anyone even remotely interested in poetry must read him, and this is the place to start. Song is well worth reading on its own, but the fact that it is in Leaves of Grass, which everyone should have anyway, and many other places makes a standalone very hard to justify unless one wants both versions in one. The important thing at any rate is to read it in some form.

The book, remakable, the reviews? I am confused.
Special preview note:

I have to say these reviews confuse me because I see nothing about Stephen Mitchell in the book I hold in my hands. I don't know where the reference comes from at all, so I am going to write as if I don't know what the reviewers are using as a reference to Mitchell... and now I see, those reviewers were reading an entirely different version of the book - so if you are interested in the Dover edition, my review stands. If you are looking at the Shambala edition, what I say still stands, for the most part... except I haven't read the Mitchell edits and now I understand some of the disdain! And it makes me VERY curious, would like to read both versions side-by-side.)

From the preface: This dover edition, first published in 2001, is a unabridged republication from the first 1855 edition of "Leaves of Grass."

I sat here, today, re-reading some of the sections I had highlighted from my first read of this epic-length-poem. I wondered, "What would the world be like if each of us took the time to write a 'Song of Myself' according to our own witness of the world we live within?

Walt Whitman does exactly that in this poem - he doesn't seek to be understood, he doesn't seek to please the reader, he is simply being present to his world and then capture his meandering path into words and serve it onto the page.

Then it is up to us, as the readers, to take our spoon-fuls of Whitman and savor each one.

There is much to be learned, experienced, enjoyed, discovered in these words within this very slim volume.Savor each one and consider writing your own song.

Now I am off to begin mine.

Possibly the greatest American poem
I always have this book in my travel bag. Hiking the John Muir trail - perfect. A cafe in Budapest - perfect. The Shinkansen train in Japan - perfect. A hammock in Costa Rica - perfect. It's tiny, beautiful, and invigorating - it reminds me of why I/we live. It's learned and raw and revealing and divine; it articulates the sorrow and glory of being human.

In my opinion, like the Bible, it is a book everyone should read once.

Mitchell did take some liberties by collating different versions of Whitman's work, but keep in mind that Walt re-wrote this poem time and time again. I have read probably a dozen versions of this peom and this is no less valuable than any of the others. Mitchell has fine taste and all the words are Walt's, and Mitchell adequately explains his reasoning in the preface. So, in contrast to what some of the other reviewers have written: If you're going to read this poem only once, Mitchell has presented a great version here.

costly
this book is only 1.50 if you buy it in a store, its not worth the shipping and handeling ... Read more

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Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
In March 1888 Horace Traubel, Whitman's loyal and hardworking assistant, began to record his almost daily conversations with the most famous resident of Camden. The result: more than 1,900,000 words that were eventually published between 1906 and 1996 in nine volumes. Titled With Walt Whitman in Camden, these volumes contain much that is mundane and repetitive, but they also include many passages crucial for a full and humane understanding of America's Þrst great national poet. In Intimate with Walt Gary Schmidgall has condensed Traubel's nearly 5,000 pages into one manageable volume featuring the many self-revealing, humorous, nostalgic, and often curmudgeonly words of the Good Gray Poet. The book is divided into Þve sections, each consisting of several chapters: the Þrst, presenting Walt on himself, his family, and his daily life and visitors at the only home he ever owned; the second, on his artistic credos, the literary life, and a large array of comments on the writing, publication of, and critical reaction to Leaves of Grass; the third, focusing on his friends, admirers, idols, and lovers; the fourth and longest, presenting his no-holds-barred views on a variety of topics, including the American scene, race, religion, music, and even alcohol; and Þnally, a gathering of passages revealing Whitman's struggles with his inÞrmities, his poignant Þnal days, and Traubel's observations on Whitman's deathbed scene and burial rites.Whitman was the great poet of autobiography, and with this volume we gain entry into a most remarkable life in his own words. Whimsical and highly entertaining, poignant and moving, illuminating and candid, Intimate with Walt makes accessible the most amazing oral history project in all of American letters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Getting to Know You...
During the last few years of his life, the great gray poet Walt Whitman was visited by a devoted young man by the name of Horace Traubel. They would converse about all topics in the world, after which, Traubel would busily scribe down notes from these meetings. His plan? To create a living testament to Walt's life, his sayings, viewpoints, and eventually, to get closer to the poet than ever possible.

Eventually published in nine volumes, the last finally being completed in the 1980's, is an immense, thick work. Professor and Whitman scholar Gary Schmidgall has taken the essence of those nine volumes, and "boiled them down" in an approachable book called "Intimate with Walt".

Schmidgall brilliantly organizes his excerpts from these nine volumes into categories, which means you can dance through the book and find areas that interest you the most. Want to learn about Walt's family? It's there. How about Walt's thoughts on his Leaves of Grass? It's there. Incredibly moving is a recounting of Walt's last days, and Traubel's reaction to them. We can be in the room as the great gray poet passes; it's incredibly moving and touching.

Many biographies have been written about this man, but few tend to get as close to Whitman as this book does. I highly recommend this book for Whitman scholars, fellow poets, or anyone wanting to spend a few quiet moments with this great man. ... Read more

Product Description
As compelling and revelatory as Colm Toibin's The Master, Walt Whitman's Secret mines the life of the most influential poet in the American canon for insights about creativity, relations between the sexes and the dangers of excessive patriotism.

In this wonderfully imagined novel, Walt Whitman's secret isn't his homosexuality but another one entirely. It's a political secret, one that the greatest American poet of the nineteenth century has pledged himself to keep until he is on his deathbed.

Only in that way can Whitman protect the great love of his life - a Confederate deserter he met in Washington during the Civil War - from the calumnies and scandals that have muddied his own reputation ever since the first publication of Leaves of Grass. The person who finally hears his confession is Horace, his unpaid amanuensis and helper, a young man who will go on to fill nine fat volumes with a verbatim record of the great man's tabletalk and often deceptive reminiscences. Only after Whitman has gone does Horace realize that Whitman seems to be making him a bequest of not only the secret but of his own complex personality as well.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more