Walt Whitman: Poetry and Prose (Library of America)

What is there to say about Walt Whitman 123 years after his death and 160 after the first publication of LEAVES OF GRASS? What-ever I say will be colored by hyperbole, because I cannot envision my life without his poetry and presence. He's that important to me. So let me begin: Walt Whitman is the poet whose works every American should not only read but know intimatey. Walt Whitman has been, and continues to be the beacon of our democracy abroad. He wrote visionary poetry and inspiring prose, always celebrating America as a dream of justice, hope and love, never supporting empire-building or wasteful militarism. A conscientious objector to violence, he was a nurse during the Civil War, not doing routine nursing but rather consoling grievously wounded men, helping them write letters home, and, Hermes-like, guiding them across the threshold of eternity. In his old age, he exchanged his barbaric yawlp for a quiet prayer to "Thou Transcendent" and envisioned dying as a voyage of discovery. His poems are complex but not convoluted, easy to read but demand a lifetime to appreciate, provide pleasure in the moment and profound wisdom in the long run. Walt Whitman is both rhetorical and intimate, sometimes at the same time. Dead over a hundred years, he still promised us "I depart as air . . . I stop some where waiting for you."

shipped fast, perfectly described, and packaged with care, highly recommend this seller (what did you think I would review Whitman?)

Beethoven killed classical style. It kind of ends with him. He was soooo good that he was impossible to follow. Others had to go in other directions.But Whitman invents modern poetry. And with his Beethoven intensity and skill ought to have killed it, with his "Leaves of Grass". But poets are hardier than musicians, I suppose. You need a Whitman scale to rate poets. Really excellent gets a W0.5 (from 0 to 1). Like that.But so does Whitman himself. His first real work was called "Leaves of Grass". His second was called "Leaves of Grass". His third, "Leaves of Grass"...He kept improving his older stuff and adding on. It got bigger and bigger and bigger. Historically, you may want an older version. But this one is the mother load.AND .... this is the big and .... it has the best preface of any book ever written. Period. No contest. He wrote this in his later years and the preface is a work of its own. Magnificent. This book makes me blue in that I could never rise to this level of speech and thought given infinite resources and tutoring. So it stands there like a continent. Explore it.

A friend introduced me to Walt Whitman years ago. Knowing more about his life and how he influenced the change of poetry and what moved him, I became even more intrigued by his writing. This is a wonderful collection of Whitman's writings. It has 2 versions of Leaves of Grass, the original and the last version, nteresting to see the changes. I'm not a kindle person because I like the feel of a book in my hands, this book has such a nice feel to it. I got it for a friend for Christmas. It's always nice to give something of quality to a friend.

Thank you for the extra help getting this beautiful book delivered !

If you are looking for an anthology of Whitman's poems and prose, look no further. This is the book for you!

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.

I love Walt Whitman! His works have always been a safe haven for me when I find myself mentally restless or just need of a break. This fine collection of all his works and different edition, and packed in a durable and well made book that fits in the hand nicely. Especially for the price! If you are a lover of Walt Whitman, and even if you don't know if you are, do yourself a favor and pay a little extra for all his works in one cover. Because this is an edition that you will be able to pass on to your family.

The review by Darklord is clearly not of this hardback published by the Library of America, which is a comprehensive collection of all Whitman's poetry and prose in a handsome binding and on wafer-thin paper.

Whitman's poetry is simple, subtle and quite thought provoking. The nineteenth century poetry was really of high quality. The way poetry developed during those times, it led to various poets branching out in different genres and writing about those genres in detail. This made Whitman also stand out in his field. Details and wonderfully formed prose are a few more qualities of this collection. This is a must have assortment for those who like poetry and Whitman's poetry in general.

Comprei um livro novo e recebi um livro em péssimo estado, com sobrecapa e páginas amarfanhadas e manchas escuras parecendo graxa na capa, nas folhas de guarda e nos cortes. E, como se trata de um livro importado, não custou barato.

Es un volumen completo de todos los poemas y las prosas de diferentes ediciones escritos o editados por Walt Whitman.

Lovely book