“I Hear America Singing” is one of Whitman’s shortest poems, but it packs his whole democratic vision into just eleven lines. First published in the 1860 edition of Leaves of Grass, it’s basically Whitman listing workers and saying they’re all singing. Not literally singing, obviously. The “song” represents pride, joy, individuality, the sense that every … Read more
“Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” might be the most intimate conversation Walt Whitman ever had with people he knew he’d never meet. Published in 1856, the poem starts with something completely ordinary: his daily commute across the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan. But somewhere between boarding the ferry and reaching the other shore, Whitman realizes he’s … Read more
“Song of the Open Road” showed up in the 1856 edition of Leaves of Grass, and it’s Whitman at his most optimistic and inviting. The setup sounds simple: he’s taking a walk down an open road, feeling good about it. But Whitman being Whitman, a walk never stays just a walk. Within a few lines, … Read more