Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass,poems by Whitman, the first edition of which (1855) contained 12 poems, including those later entitled “Song of Myself,” “I Sing the Body Electric,” and “There Was a Child Went Forth.” The first edition was anonymous and had a preface, later omitted, in which the author declares that the ideal poet must be a complete lover of the universe, draw his materials from nature, as a seer reveal the cosmic plan which harmoniously unites past, present, and future, be commensurate with his nation, and in America serve as representative of the common people, differing from them only in his superior vision. He is to discover what is permanent in flux, explain its development, and be a realist in his art. His style is to be simple and natural, without such ornamentation as conventional rhyme or meter, since it must have an organic growth like that of a perfect animal or tree, in which each part is in proportion and harmonious with the...
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