FromLeavesofGrassto“SongofMyself,“allofWhitman’spoetryinonevolumeIn1855WaltWhitmanpublishedLeavesofGrass,theworkthatdefinedhimasoneofAmerica’smostinfluentialvoicesandthatheaddedtothroughouthislife.Acollectionofastonishingoriginalityandintensity,itspokeofpolitics,sexualemancipation,andwhatitmeanttobeanAmerican.Fromthejoyful“SongofMyself“and“ISingtheBodyElectric“totheelegiac“WhenLilacsLastintheDooryardBloom’d,“Whitman’sartfusesoratory,journalism,andsonginavividcelebrationofhumanity.ContainingallWhitman’sknownpoeticwork,thiseditionreprintsthefinal,or“deathbed,“editionofLeavesofGrass(1891-92).Earlierversionsofmanypoemsarealsogiven,includingthe1855“SongofMyself.“-Featuresacompletelynew--andfuller--introductiondiscussingthedevelopmentofWhitman’spoeticcareer,hisinfluenceonlaterAmericanpoets,andhisimpactontheAmericanculturalsensibility-Includeschronology,updatedsuggestionsforfurtherreading,andextensivenotesFormorethanseventyyears,PenguinhasbeentheleadingpublisherofclassicliteratureintheEnglish-speakingworld.Withmorethan1,700titles,PenguinClassicsrepresentsaglobalbookshelfofthebestworksthroughouthistoryandacrossgenresanddisciplines.Readerstrusttheseriestoprovideauthoritativetextsenhancedbyintroductionsandnotesbydistinguishedscholarsandcontemporaryauthors,aswellasup-to-datetranslationsbyaward-winningtranslators.
