Song of Myself - Paperback

by Walt Whitman (Author)

Zephyr House is please to publish this beautiful edition of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" for its inaugural volume of one poem. One poem and its sister series, one prose re-edition classic literature, poetry, and plays in historically accurate and easy to read formats. Our one prose and one poem series are thin and portable editions of classic short stories, novellas, and longer-length poems that are designed to travel with you. Our one play series publishes classic plays in 8.5x11 inch format, for easy use by cast and crews.For a complete list of volumes and other works published by Zephyr House, please visit our webpage at zephyrhouse.com

Author Biography

Walter "Walt" Whitman (May 31, 1819 - March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described as obscene for its overt sexuality. Walt Whitman has been claimed as America's first "poet of democracy", a title meant to reflect his ability to write in a singularly American character. A British friend of Walt Whitman, Mary Smith Whitall Costelloe, wrote: "You cannot really understand America without Walt Whitman, without Leaves of Grass... He has expressed that civilization, 'up to date, ' as he would say, and no student of the philosophy of history can do without him." Modernist poet Ezra Pound called Whitman "America's poet... He is America." Andrew Carnegie called him "the great poet of America so far". Whitman considered himself a messiah-like figure in poetry. Others agreed: one of his admirers, William Sloane Kennedy, speculated that "people will be celebrating the birth of Walt Whitman as they are now the birth of Christ".