Selected Poems

By Walt Whitman and Leslie A. (indroduction by) Whitman, Walt; Wilbur, Richard (general editor); Fieldler

Book Overview

In his unconventional verse, Walt Whitman spoke in a powerful, sensual, oratorical, and inspiring voice. His most famous work, Leaves of Grass, was a long-term project that the poet compared to the building of a cathedral or the slow growth of a tree. During his lifetime, from 1819 to 1892, it went through nine editions. Today it is regarded as a landmark of American literature.This volume contains 24 poems from Leaves of Grass, offering a generous sampling of Whitman's best and most representative verses. Featured works include "I Hear America Singing," "I Sing the Body Electric," "Song of the Open Road," "Out of Cradle Endlessly Rocking," "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," and "O Captain! My Captain!" -- all reprinted from an authoritative text. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0517073978
• ISBN13: 9780517073971
• Release Date: March 2001
• Publisher: Gramercy
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.7" x 5.7"

Customer Reviews

A fair representation of the representative American 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...

the original, un-self-censored Whitman

There was a time I didn't much care for Whitman's poetry -- what seemed to me its self-conscious pretentiousness was a turn-off. (Whitman himself acknowledged that his style was all-too readily parodied.) It was only when, 30 years ago, I heard Rip Torn read it, I began to acknowledge its power and originality. Nevertheless, I was still bothered by an overly self-aware, "straining for effect" quality -- until I found this...

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...

Walt Whitman is a talented, visionary writer!

This book is highly entertaining and quaint, and it also teaches acceptance and peace through example. With views that even today are still evolving in America, Whitman almost seems to have written this book in 2050, and just slipped it back in time for us to read now.