Gordis
ENG BC3180y
Spring 2007
READING WHITMAN’S LEAVES OF GRASS
Leaves of Grass was first published in 1855, hence its inclusion in this syllabus. But it was published in multiple editions which included many changes over a period of years, up to what is called the "deathbed" edition, a ninth edition published in 1891-1892. The Norton Anthology includes both the 1855 text of what became "Song of Myself" and the "deathbed" edition. We’ll be working with the 1855 text, but you may want to compare the two texts as well. Obviously, I’m not suggesting that you do a line-by-line comparison of both texts. But the changes are both significant and interesting, including the introduction of numbered sections (generally called "chants") in the later versions and references to the Civil War. If you’re interested in comparing texts, the Walt Whitman Hypertext Archive at the University of Virginia now has texts of the 1855, 1856, 1860, 1867, 1871-72,1881-82 and 1891-92 editions available, along with images and texts of many reviews; it is found at http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/whitman/.
I’ve asked you to read two different prefaces to Leaves of Grass. The first is the 1855 preface, published with the first edition of the book. As a preface to the 1856 edition, Whitman printed a letter to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson had sent him a letter congratulating him on the 1855 edition, and Whitman printed Emerson’s letter along with his own response to it. (Anyone who has the fourth edition of the Norton Anthology can find the text of Emerson’s letter on page 1165; it’s also available in facsimile form at the Smithsonian's "American Memory" site.) Both prefaces suggest the influence of Emerson on Whitman, another issue you should consider as you read. Whitman calls Emerson his "Master" in the 1856 preface (2194). To what extent is his poem shaped by Emersonian ideas? And how close is Whitman's view of poetry to the ideas articulated by Emerson in "The Poet"? Are there significant ways in which Whitman departs from Emerson’s positions? More broadly, what poetic project does Whitman seem to envision in these prefaces? How does he understand the role of the American poet?
As you read "Song of Myself," consider Whitman’s poetic experiment. What techniques does he use? What techniques does he downplay? Whitman was profoundly influenced by biblical poetry, calling the Bible "the fountain heads of song." He was particularly interested in what he perceived as the absence of meter and rhyme in biblical poetry, and was interested in exploiting this technique in his own verse. What other parallels do you see between Whitman’s verse and biblical poetry?
Pay attention as well to "Song of Myself" as a whole. To what extent does the poem fit together as a unified whole? Try to trace the plot of "Song of Myself." Consider the speaker in this poem. Whitman identifies himself as the speaker, but how does he characterize himself? In the 1855 edition, Whitman did not put his name on the title page (though he did list himself as the holder of the copyright). Instead, he included an engraving of himself on the facing page. Follow the link to look at the engraving. Again, how is Whitman presenting himself here? How does the image in the engraving relate to Whitman's representation of himself in the poem?
Beyond celebrating himself and singing himself, what does the speaker in this poem do? What does he see and describe? How does he interact with people and things? What engages his attention? Think about the principles of selection that inform this poem. What does Whitman include in his gaze? What, if anything, does he leave out of the poem? Whitman is very interested in procreation and sexual energy. How does he treat gender?
Also, consider the poem's status as "song." How does Whitman's consciousness of aural forms (and musical forms) shape the poem? Try reading some of the poem aloud, and think about how that changes your experience of the poem. And finally, as you're thinking about all of these questions, take some time to enjoy the poem.