Leaves of Grass: The Original 1855 Edition (Original 1855)

Marc Notes:
The original 1855 edition.;Dover (2007) unabridged republication of the first edition, published by the author, Brooklyn, New York, 1855--P. [4] of cover.;Introductory note by Bliss Perry excerpted from The American spirit in literature: a chronicle of great interpreters, first published in 1918.

Brief Description:
"Dover (2007) unabridged republication of the first edition, published by the author, Brooklyn, New York, 1855"--P. [4] of cover.

Brief Description:
Whitman's immortal collection includes some of the greatest poems of modern times, including his masterpiece, "Song of Myself." Shattering standard conventions, it stands as an unabashed celebration of body and nature.

Biographical Note:
One of America's most influential and innovative poets, Walt Whitman (1819-92) worked as a teacher, journalist, and volunteer nurse during the Civil War. Proclaimed as the nation's first "poet of democracy," Whitman reached out to common readers and opposed censorship with his overt celebrations of sexuality

Publisher Marketing:
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.
This edition presents the original twelve poems from Whitman's premier 1855 publication of Leaves of Grass. Included are some of the greatest poems of modern times: "Song of Myself," "I Sing the Body Electric," and "There Was a Child Went Forth" (which in the first editions of Leaves of Grass were still nameless), works that continue to upset conventional notions of beauty and originality even today.