Walt Whitman

Listen Up

"I lean and loafe at my ease... observing a spear of summer grass." The summer of 2005 saw the 150th anniversary of the publication of Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass, for many, the single most prototypical “American” book in our history.

• Here is an NPR piece on Whitman (7:04) noting the 150-year anniversary.
• Here is a longer piece from WNYC (58:43) that provides a broad overview of Whitman’s life.

Write Now

• What are some of your stereotypes of an artist or poet, and which of these, if any, does Whitman seem to meet?
• What aspects of Whitman’s life and work seem to make him quintessentially American?
• What importance, if any, should we or do you attach to the matter of Whitman’s sexuality? Is it largely irrelevant to hisw life as poet or absolutely crucial – or somewhere in between?

Read On

• More from Wikipedia on Whitman