Leaves of Grass

Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is a poetry first published in 1892. Beginning with just twelve poems, Whitman continuously revised and expanded this work throughout his life, eventually creating a collection of over four hundred poems. He celebrates American democracy, nature, the human body, and sensual pleasure in verse that breaks traditional rules of rhyme and meter. The book's explicit content sparked controversy and condemnation, yet it ultimately became recognized as one of the central works of American poetry. Themes of American poetry -- 19th century give the work a clear emotional and intellectual center. Walt Whitman relies on a compressed, musical style in which rhythm, image, and sound shape meaning, allowing mood and structure to carry as much meaning as subject matter. At roughly 133,525 words with a fairly difficult reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Readers still return to it because of its contribution to poetic tradition and its invitation to reread slowly. It remains worth reading for the precision with which it turns American poetry -- 19th century into a sustained literary experience.