Alongside close readings of the major texts, chapters on Whitman's biography, the history and culture of his time, and the critical reception of his work provide a comprehensive understanding of Whitman and of how he has become such a central figure in the American literary canon.
- A jargon-free, clearly written and organised introduction for students
- Close readings of the major poems with full information about their context and reception
- Guide to further reading provides a clear guide to the field of Whitman studies
Contents:
1.Life
- Youth and literary apprenticeship (1819-1850)
- The emergence of a poet (1851-1860)
- The war and its aftermath (1861-1873)
- The period of reflection and decline (1873-1892)
2.Historical and cultural context
- Democracy
- The body
- The land
- The culture
3.Poetry before the Civil War
- 1855:’Song of myself ’
- Other poems dating form the 1855 Leaves of Grass
- 1856: poems of sexuality and the body
- 1856: poems of the earth
- 1856: ‘Crossing Brooklyn Ferry’
- 1860: Sea-Drift Poems
- 1860: gendered clusters- ‘Children of Adam’ and ‘Calamus’
4.Poetry after the Civil War
- Elegiac poems
- The emergence of an image
- Minor poetic modes
5.Prose works
- The 1855 preface
- Democratic Vistas
- Specimen Days
6.Critical reception
