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 the "deathbed" edition, so you’ll want to consider, as you read, ways in which the text was modified over the years. Obviously, you won’t be able to find all of these, and I’m not asking you to sit down with multiple editions and compare them. However, at points it is possible, even without comparing the texts, to see where the Civil War, for example, shapes the text. So watch for these moments as you read. If you’re interested in comparing texts, the 1855, 1881-2, and 1891-2 editions are becoming available online at the Walt Whitman Hypertext Archive at the University of Virginia; note that the site is under construction (http://jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU/whitman/works/leaves/index.html).

        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. (See page 1165 of the Norton Anthology for the text of Emerson’s letter, and see our course web site for photographs of the letter itself.) 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 (2090). To what extent is his poem shaped by Emersonian ideas? Are there significant ways in which he 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," think about the nature of 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 do the individual chants (the name conventionally used for the numbered sections) fit together into 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. If you’re reading this on a handout, the engraving is reproduced on the back of this sheet. If you’re reading this on the newsgroup or on the website, go to the Bartleby project website and see the engraving (http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/whitman/whit1.gif). Again, how is Whitman presenting himself here? Is this consistent with his 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?