Selected Poems

In his unconventional verse, Walt Whitman spoke in a powerful, sensual, oratorical, and inspiring voice. His most famous work, Leaves of Grass, was a long-term project that the poet compared to the building of a cathedral or the slow growth of a tree. During his lifetime, from 1819 to 1892, it went through nine editions. Today it is regarded as a landmark of American literature.This volume contains 24 poems from Leaves of Grass, offering a generous sampling of Whitman's best and most representative verses. Featured works include "e;I Hear America Singing,"e; "e;I Sing the Body Electric,"e; "e;Song of the Open Road,"e; "e;Out of Cradle Endlessly Rocking,"e; "e;When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd,"e; and "e;O Captain! My Captain!"e;—all reprinted from an authoritative text.