Walt Whitman: Poetry and Prose (Library of America) [Hardcover]

Walt Whitman (Author), Justin Kaplan (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Library of America | Publication Date: May 6, 1982

Contains the first and "deathbed" editions of "Leaves of Grass," and virtually all of Whitman's prose, with reminiscences of nineteenth-century New York City, notes on the Civil War, especially his service in Washington hospitals and glimpses of President Lincoln, and attacks on the misuses of national wealth after the war.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Aboard At A Ship's Helm
Abraham Lincoln, Born Feb. 12, 1809
Adieu To A Soldier
After The Dazzle Of Day Is Gone
After The Sea-ship, After The Whistling Winds
After The Supper And Talk
Ages And Ages Returning At Intervals
Ah Poverties, Wincings, And Sulky Retreats
All Is Truth
America
Among The Multitude
Apparitions
Are You The New Person Drawn Toward Me?
An Army Corps On The March
The Artilleryman's Vision
As Adam Early In The Morning
As At Thy Portals Also Death
As Consequent, Etc.
As I Lay With My Head In Your Lap Camerado
As I Pondered In Silence
As I Sit Writing Here
As I Walk These Broad Majestic Days Of Peace
As I Watch'd The Ploughman Ploughing
As If A Phantom Caress'd Me
As The Greek's Signal Flame
As The Time Draws Nigh
As They Draw To A Close
As Toilsome I Wander'd Virginia's Woods
Ashes Of Soldiers
Assurances
The Base Of All Metaphysics
Beat! Beat! Drums!
Beautiful Women
Beginners
Beginning My Studies
Behold This Swarthy Face
Bivouac On A Mountain Side
A Boston Ballad
The Bravest Soldiers
Bravo, Paris Exposition!
Broadway
A Broadway Pageant
By Blue Ontario's Shore
By Broad Potomac's Shore
By The Bivouac's Fitful Flame
The Calming Though Of All
Camps Of Green
A Carol Closing Sixty-nine
Cavalry Crossing A Ford
The Centenarian's Story
Chanting The Square Deific
A Child's Amaze
A Christmas Greeting; From A Northern Start-group To A Southern
The City Dead-house
City Of Orgies
City Of Ships!
A Clear Midnight
Come Up From The Fields Father
The Commonplace
Continuities
Crossing Brooklyn Ferry
The Dalliance Of The Eagles
Darest Thou Now O Soul
The Dead Emperor
The Dead Tenor
The Dear Love Of Comrades
Death Of General Grant
Delicate Cluster! Flag Of Teeming Life!
Dirge For Two Veterans
The Dismantled Ship
The Dying Veteran; A Long Island Incident - Early Part Present Century
Earth, My Likeness
Eidolons
Eighteen Sixty-one
Election Day, November, 1884
Elemental Drifts: 1
Elemental Drifts: 2
Elemental Drifts: 3
Elemental Drifts: 4
An Ended Day
Epitaph For Lincoln
Ethiopia Saluting The Colors
Europe; The 72nd And 73rd Years Of These States
An Evening Lull
Excelsior
Faces
Facing West From California's Shores
Fancies At Navesink: 1. The Pilot In The Mist
Fancies At Navesink: 2
Fancies At Navesink: 3
Fancies At Navesink: 4
Fancies At Navesink: 5
Fancies At Navesink: 6
Fancies At Navesink: 7
Fancies At Navesink: 8
A Farm Picture
Fast Anchor'd Eternal O Love!
The First Dandelion
A Font Of Type
For Him I Sing
For The Inauguration Of A Public School, Camden, New Jersey
For You O Democracy
France; The 18th Year Of These States
From Far Dakota's Canons
From Montauk Point
From Paumanok Starting I Fly Like A Bird
From Pent-up Aching Rivers
Full Of Life Now
Germs
Give Me The Splendid Silent Sun
Gliding O'er All, Through All
A Glimpse
'going Somewhere'
Good-bye My Fancy
Good-bye My Fancy!
Grand Is The Seen
Halcyon Days
A Hand-mirror
Hast Never Come To Thee An Hour
Here The Frailest Leaves Of Me
How Solemn As One By One (washington City, 1865)
Hush'd Be The Camps Today
I Am He That Aches With Love
I Dreamed In A Dream I Saw A City Invincible
I Hear America Singing
I Heard Your Solemn-sweet Pipes
I Saw In Louisiana A Live-oak Growing
I Saw Old General At Bay
I Sing The Body Electric
I Sit And Look Out
I Was Looking A Long While
In Cabin'd Ships At Sea
In Paths Untrodden
Interpolation Sounds
Italian Music In Dakota (the Seventeenth - The Finest Regimental Band)
Joy, Shipmate, Joy!
Kosmos
L. Of G.'s Purport
The Last Invocation
Laws For Creations
A Leaf For Hand In Hand
Leaves Of Grass (1855 Edition)
Life
Life And Death
Lingering Last Drops
Lo, Victress On The Peaks
Locations And Times
Long, Long Hence
Long, Too Long America
Look Down Fair Moon And Bathe This Scene
Manahatta
Manhattan Arming
Mannahatta
A March In The Ranks Hard-prest And The Road Unknown
Me Imperturbe
Mediums
Memories
Miracles
Mirages
Mother And Babe
My 71st Year
My Canary Bird
My Legacy
My Picture-gallery
Myself And Mine Gymnastic Ever
The Mystic Trumpeter
Native Moments
Night On The Prairies
No Labor-saving Machine
A Noiseless Patient Spider
Not Heat Flames Up And Consumes
Not Heaving From My Ribb'd Breast Only
Not Meagre, Latent Boughs Alone
Not The Pilot
Not Youth Pertains To Me
Now Finale To The Shore
Now Precedent Songs, Farewell
O Captain! My Captain!
O Hymen! O Hymenee!
O Living Always, Always Dying!
O Magnet-south
O Me! O Life!
O Star Of France
O Tan-faced Prairie-boy
O You Whom I Often And Silently Come
Of Him I Love Day And Night
Of That Blithe Throat Of Thine From Artic Bleak And Blank
Of The Terrible Doubt Of Appearances
Offerings
Old Age's Lambent Peaks
Old Age's Ship And Crafty Death's
Old Chants
Old Ireland
Old Salt Kossabone
Old War-dreams
On Journeys Through The States
On The Beach At Night Alone
On The Beach At Night Alone
On, On The Same, Ye Jocund Twain!
Once I Pass'd Through A Populous City
One Hour To Madness And Joy
One's-self I Sing
Orange Buds By Mail From Florida
Osceola
Others May Praise What They Like
Our Old Feuillage
Out From Behind This Mask
Out Of May's Shows Selected
Out Of The Cradle Endlessly Rocking
Out Of The Rolling Ocean The Crowd
Outlines For A Tomb (g.p., Buried 1870)
The Ox-tamer
The Pallid Wreath
Passage To India
Patroling Barnegat
Paumanok
A Paumanok Picture
Pensive On Her Dead Gazing
Pensive On Her Dead Gazing
Perfections
A Persian Lesson
Pioneers! O Pioneers!
Poets To Come
Portals
The Prairie States
A Prairie Sunset
The Prairie-grass Dividing
Prayer Of Columbus
President Lincoln's Burial Hymn
A Promise To California
Proud Music Of The Storm
Queries To My Seventieth Year
Quicksand Years
Race Of Veterans
Reconciliation
Recorders Ages Hence
Red Jacket (from Aloft)
The Return Of The Heroes
Reversals
A Riddle Song
Rise O Days From Your Fathomless Deeps
Roaming In Thought (after Reading Hegel)
Roots And Leaves Themselves Alone
'the Rounded Catalogue Divine Complete'
The Runner
Sail Out For Good, Eidolon Yacht!
Salut Au Monde
Savantism
Scented Herbage Of My Breast
Shakspere-bacon Cipher
The Ship Starting
Shut Not Your Doors To Me Proud Libraries
A Sight In Camp In The Daybreak Gray And Dim
The Singer In The Prison
The Sleepers (version Of 1881)
Small The Theme Of My Chant
So Long!
The Sobbing Of The Bells (midnight, Sept. 19-20, 1881)
Sometimes With One I Love
Song At Sunset
Song For All Seas, All Ships
A Song For Occupations
A Song Of Joys
Song Of Myself
Song Of Prudence
Song Of The Answerer
Song Of The Banner At Day-break
Song Of The Exposition
Song Of The Open Road
Song Of The Redwood-tree
A Song Of The Rolling Earth
Song Of The Universal
Soon Shall The Winter's Foil Be Here
Sounds Of The Winter
Spain, 1873-1874
Sparkles From The Wheel
Spirit That Form'd This Scene (written In Platte Canon, Colorado)
Spirit Whose Work Is Done (washington City, 1865)
Spontaneous Me
Starting From Paumanok
Still Though The One I Sing
Stronger Lessons
Tears
Tests
Thanks In Old Age - Thanks Ere I Go
That Music Always Round Me
That Shadow My Likeness
There Was A Child Went Forth
These Carols
These I Singing In Spring
Thick-sprinkled Bunting! Flag Of Stars!
This Compost: 1.
This Compost: 2.
This Moment Yearning And Thoughtful
Thou Mother With Thy Equal Brood
Thou Orb Aloft Full-dazzling
Thou Reader
Thought (1)
Thought (2)
Thought (3)
Thought (4)
Thought (5)
Thoughts (1)
Thoughts (2)
Thoughts (3)
To A Certain Cantatrice
To A Certain Civilian
To A Common Prostitute
To A Foil'd European Revolutionaire
To A Historian
To A Locomotive In Winter
To A President
To A Pupil
To A Stranger
To A Western Boy
To Foreign Lands
To Get The Final Lilt Of Songs
To Him That Was Crucified
To Old Age
To One Shortly To Die
To Rich Givers
To The East And To The West
To The Garden The World
To The Leaven'd Soil They Trod
To The Man-of-war-bird
To The Pending Year
To The States. To Identify The 16th, 17th, Or 18th Presidentiad
To The Sun-set Breeze
To Thee Old Cause!
To Think Of Time
To Those Who Fail'd, In Aspiration Vast
To You (1)
To You (3)
To-day And Thee
The Torch
Transpositions
Trickle Drops
True Conquerors
Turn O Libertad
Twenty Years
Twilight
A Twilight Song
The Unexpress'd
Unfolded Out Of The Folds
The United States To Old World Critics
Unnamed Lands
Unseen Buds
The Untold Want
Vigil Strange I Kept On The Field One Night
Virginia - The West
Visor'd
Vocalism
A Voice From Death
The Voice Of The Rain
A Voice Prophetic
The Wallabout Martyrs
Walt Whitman's Caution
Wandering At Morn
Warble For Lilac Time
Washington's Monument, February, 1885
We Two Boys Together Clinging
We Two, How Long We Were Fool'd
Weave In, My Hardy Life
What Am I After All
What Best I See; To U.s.g. Return'd From His World's Tour
What Place Is Besieged?
What Ship Puzzled At Sea
What Think You I Take My Pen In Hand?
When I Heard At The Close Of The Day
When I Heard The Learn'd Astronomer
When I Peruse The Conquer'd Fame
When I Read The Book
When The Full-grown Poet Came
While Not The Past Forgetting
Whispers Of Heavenly Death
Who Learns My Lesson Complete?
Whoever You Are Holding Me Now In Hand
With All Thy Gifts America
With Antecedents
With Husky-haughty Lips, O Sea
A Woman Waits For Me
The World Below The Brine
World Take Good Notice
The Wound-dresser
Year Of Meteors (1859-60)
Year That Trembled And Reel'd Beneath Me
Years Of The Modern
Yet, Yet, Ye Downcast Hours, I Know Ye Also
Yonnonido
You Felons On Trial In Courts
You Lingering Sparse Leaves Of Me
Youth, Day, Old Age And Night
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

Beautiful and authoritative ... the most comprehensive volume ever published of the works of Walt Whitman. -- The New York Times

From the Publisher

The Library of America is an award-winning, nonprofit program dedicated to publishing America's best and most significant writing in handsome, enduring volumes, featuring authoritative texts. Hailed as "the most important book-publishing project in the nation's history" (Newsweek), this acclaimed series is restoring America's literary heritage in "the finest-looking, longest-lasting edition ever made" (New Republic).

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1380 pages
• Publisher: Library of America (May 6, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 094045002X
• ISBN-13: 978-0940450028
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, near Huntington, Long Island, New York. On July 4, 1855, the first edition of Leaves of Grass, the volume of poems that for the next four decades would become his lifes work, was placed on sale. Although some critics treated the volume as a joke and others were outraged by its unprecedented mixture of mysticism and earthiness, the book attracted the attention of some of the finest literary intelligences. His poetry slowly achieved a wide readership in America and in England, where he was praised by Swinburne and Tennyson. (D. H. Lawrence later referred to Whitman as the"greatest modern poet, and"the greatest of Americans. Whitman suffered a stroke in 1873 and was forced to retire to Camden, New Jersey, where he would spend the last twenty years of his life. There he continued to write poetry, and in 1881 the seventh edition of Leaves of Grass was published to generally favorable reviews. However, the book was soon banned in Boston on the grounds that it was obscene literature. In January 1892 the final edition of Leaves of Grass appeared on sale, and Whitman's life work was complete. He died two months later on the evening of March 26, 1892, and was buried four days afterward at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic volume in my home, January 28, 2006

By 

John Stagaman (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walt Whitman: Poetry and Prose (Library of America) (Hardcover)

I picked up this book in the Spring of 1990 while browsing in a bookstore. I'm no student of poetry, in fact I only purchased it because I randomly flipped it open and was enamored with the passage I found. I learned that the passage is from "Song of Myself" and have read both that epic poem and the entire collection through dozens of times.

I didn't know exactly what I had purchased that day. But over time find that turning to Whitman's poetry and prose has been a source of comfort. I find myself in his writings, and find that his messages apply clearly in the present day. This volume is a pretty hefty way to start with Whitman--you get everything from the start. If you choose to buy it, I suggest randomly exploring it--stopping here and there to read a poem. I spent weeks exploring that way, only later did I read everything from start to finish. The simplicity of the writing and the clarity of meaning is remarkable.

The Library of America edition is--in itself--beautiful. Well bound, fine paper, still in excellent condition after 15 years of use. When reading it, it is impossible not to appreciate the caliber of it's manufacture: the choice of paper, inks, typefaces, binding, etc. contribute to pleasurable experience. I have a small number of other Library of America volumes, and each is exquisitely assembled and a joy to read. They are not inexpensive, but I'd argue that they are most definitely worth every penny.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best edition of Whitman you could find, June 4, 2004

By 

the corporal (Mesa, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walt Whitman: Poetry and Prose (Library of America) (Hardcover)

Leaving aside, for the moment, a review of Whitman's writing itself, let me say that this edition (by the Library of America series) is the best one out there. I've been hard pressed to find works of Whitman that aren't included in this volume: it has both the 1855 and 1892 editions of Leaves of Grass, complete, and virtually all of his prose. It even includes several important pieces that Whitman didn't add to the final edition of his works during his lifetime.

Add to that the fact that these books are well made and wear well with time, and it's definitely worth the slightly higher price (especially with the amazon discount!).

Having said that - Whitman's poetry is of course wonderful, and his prose is just as great. A lot of people know about Leaves of Grass...how many, I wonder, have taken the time to read _Specimen Days_ and find out just how great of a writer Whitman really is? This volume is heartily reccomended to give you a great all-around picture of Whitman and his work. If you're coming to Whitman for the first time, a small paperback would probably be the better bet, but if you've gotten that far and want more, this is the only book you'll need.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As a young man Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman were my holy, October 15, 2004

By 

Thomas Lapins (Orlando, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Walt Whitman: Poetry and Prose (Library of America) (Hardcover)

trinity. My debt and appreciation has never diminished to this threesome. In fact, only increases.


The reason that I came across the Library of America series is that after many years of use, my copy of 'Leaves of Grass' was giving way to time. I was looking for a quality hardcover that I would not only use over and over again, but one that looked elegant on my book shelf.


I am completely happy with both the quality of the book: binding, cover, print, paper and compactness as well as the contents. There are volumes of Whitman's written words available, and are worth the owning, but this collection captures his essence, and should go a long way in keeping the lover of 'Leaves of Grass' happy and satisfied.