Walt Whitman and the Development of
Leaves of Grass
ARCHIVED ONLINE EXHIBIT
Archived October 13, 2013
Originally displayed March-April 1992
curated by Anthony Szczesiul
hypertext development by Jason A. Pierce
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Archived Online Exhibit ................................................................................................................................. 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Island 1 .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Island 2 .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Island 3 ........................................................................................................................................................ 10
Island 4 ........................................................................................................................................................ 12
INTRODUCTION
Walt Whitman in 1887. Photograph by
George C. Cox, New York.
When Walt Whitman published his first edition of Leaves of Grass on or around the fourth
day of July in 1855, he believed he was embarking on a personal literary journey of national
significance. Setting out to define the American experience, Whitman consciously hoped to
answer Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1843 essay, "The Poet," which called for a truly original
national poet, one who would sing of the new country in a new voice. The undertaking
required unlimited optimism, especially considering the fact that Whitman had published
only a small handful of poems prior to 1855; however, Whitman felt confident that the time
was ripe and that the people would embrace him. This optimism and confidence resulted
largely from his awareness of the tremendous changes in the American literary world that
had taken place during his lifetime.
At the time of Whitman's birth in 1819, the Constitution and the democratic ideas upon
which this country was founded were only a generation old; America was a land of
seemingly unlimited space, resources, and possibilities, yet a land with no cultural roots to
call its own. In 1820, a year after Whitman's birth, Sydney Smith of Britain's Edinburgh
Review was prompted to ask, "In the four quarters of the globe, who reads an American
book?" But the period between Smith's remark and the publication of Whitman's first edition
of Leaves of Grass in 1855 was one of remarkable and unprecedented change in America,
particularly in the world of books.
By 1855, America could boast one of the world's largest and most advanced publishing
industries, producing distinctly "American" books by authors such as Poe, Hawthorne,
Melville, Stowe, Fuller, Thoreau, and Emerson. The amazing growth of American literature
and of the supporting publishing industry was the result of a self-conscious effort by authors
and publishers to establish for America a literary culture of its own. The resulting increase
in, or rather the sudden appearance of, authorship in this country was made possible only
through American ingenuity, innovation, and technology in publishing. In short, the advent of
modern publishing practices during this period brought books to the people in heretofore
unimaginable numbers, spawning as a result one of the greatest periods in the history of
American literature.
Working as a printer, editor, jounalist, and publisher during the years of the publishing
industry's phenomenal growth, Whitman became keenly aware that the tools necessary for
his emergence as the new, democratic poet were at his disposal. He believed he could
bring poetry to the common people, and with the publication of his 1855 Leaves of Grass,
he assumed for himself the role of the American Poet, referring to himself as "one of the
roughs," a common man. Whitman carefully continued to cultivate his literary personality
throughout his career, especially through the relatively new field of photography. As he
revised and enlarged Leaves of Grass (8 editions and numerous printings would appear
between 1855 and 1891), Whitman's goal as the self-styled national poet became more
clearly defined. Leaves of Grass is essentially a poem in process, with each succeeding
edition representing a unique period in the poet's life as well as the nation's. This is perhaps
best illustrated by Whitman's Civil War poetry. Originally published in 1865 as a separate
volume entitled Drum Taps, these poems were later integrated intoLeaves of Grass,
growing in importance in the book as the war's historical significance became clearer in
Whitman's mind. He would eventually claim that Leaves of Grass "revolves around that four
year's war, which, as I was in the midst of it, becomes, in "Drum-Taps," pivotal to the rest
entire."
Today, more than a century after the publication of the final edition of Leaves of Grass,
Whitman's place in American literary history often seems as nebulous and enigmatic as the
ideas upon which America was founded. Numerous poets since Whitman have consciously
either placed themselves in the wake of his tradition or reacted violently against him, and
the aesthetic value of Whitman's poetry continues to be a controversial subject. The
intention of this exhibit is not to make a critical appraisal of Whitman's work; instead, it is
hoped that the materials assembled here will help explain the phenomenon which was Walt
Whitman. While the subject matter and themes present in Whitman's poetry reflect the
historical attitudes and concerns of his day, the books themselves are also artifacts of a
fascination and extremely dynamic period of American publishing history.
The original exhibition and catalogue greatly benefited from the advice of Professors Joel
Myerson and Ezra Greenspan of the University of South Carolina's Department of English.
Special thanks must also go to Mrs. Davy-Jo Ridge, who, during her tenure as Associate
Director of Libraries, began the Whitman collection with the purchase of the first edition
of Leaves of Grass as Thomas Cooper Library's one millionth volume.
Bibliographic information given in the following pages refers to entries in Dr. Myerson's Walt
Whitman: A Descriptive Bibliography (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburg Press, 1992).
These numbers will follow annotations, and a typical entry may read as follows: "A 2.1a2."
This virtual exhibit has been grouped into islands of material. To go to an island, simply click
on one of the following links. While on an island page, click on the thumbnail pictures to see
larger versions of those images.
ISLAND 1
Whitman was born May 31, 1819, and spent his first few years on his family's farm in West
Hills, Long Island, the second of eight children. When he was four, the family moved to
Brooklyn where Whitman would receive all his formal education. By the age of twelve he
had left school and begun an apprenticeship in the printing office of the Long Island Patriot,
later moving to the Long Island Star. After trying his hand at teaching, Whitman returned to
journalism with the founding of the weekly Long Islander in 1838. This folded a year later,
and, after a brief stint as a writer for another paper, Whitman returned to teaching.
Franklin Evans; or, The Inebriate: A Tale of the Times (1842)
Myerson A 1.1, binding A
In 1841 Whitman moved to Manhattan where he worked in the printing office of Park
Benjamin's popular New World. During this time he began placing poems and prose in the
influential Democratic Review. By 1842, Benjamin was soliciting a novel from Whitman for
his magazine's popular "Books for the People" series. In November of that year Whitman's
first separately published work,Franklin Evans; or, The Inebriate: A Tale of the
Timesappeared. Advertisements hailed Whitman as "one of the best Novelists in this
country." The temperance novel was so contrived and melodramatic, however, that, in later
life, Whitman seemed embarrassed by it, going so far as to tell Horace Traubel that it had
been written under the influence of alcohol. Ironically, it was Whitman's best selling work
during his lifetime.
Over the next few years, Whitman would take a number of positions at Manhattan
newspapters, all the while publishing occasional poems and stories. After returning to
Brooklyn in 1845, Whitman became editor of the Daily Eagle a year later, holding the
position for nearly two years. In 1848 he moved to New Orleans, writing for that
city's Crescent, but soon returned to Brooklyn where he founded the Free Soil
newspaperFreeman. After resigning the editorship a year later, Whitman wrote for the New
York Sunday Dispatch before briefly assuming the editorship of the Daily News. By 1851 he
had suspended his formal relationship with journalism, contributing only occasional articles
to various papers for the next few years while working as a carpenter in Brooklyn.
Leaves of Grass (Brooklyn, 1855)
Myerson A 2.1.a1
Between 1851 and 1854, Whitman worked on developing his free verse style, issuing his
efforts in July of 1855. One of the most strikingly unique books in American publishing
history, the first edition of Leaves of Grass was self-published. Although the printing has
generally been taken as strictly a professional transaction between Whitman and the Rome
brothers (the printers), family tradition, passed down with this copy of the book, has it that
the Romes agreed to print Whitman's poems as an act of friendship and of respect for his
poetry. Whitman himself assisted the printers in setting the type.
The book's unusual physical characteristics, combined with Whitman's use of a frontispiece
portrait (see the image at the top of this page) in place of his name, helped create a
mysterious aura about it. The only mention of the poet is found in the copyright notice and in
one line from the first of the book's twelve untitled poems (after 1881 called "Song of
Myself"):
In the preface to this edition Whitman called for a national literature, claiming that
Americans "have probably the fullest poetic nature" of all the people of the world and that
"The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem."
In addition to "Song of Myself," the first edition is comprised of the poems later titled "A
Song for Occupations," "To Think of Time," "The Sleepers," "I Sing the Body Electric,"
"Faces," "The Song of the Answerer," "Europe: The 72nd and 73rd Years of These States,"
"There was a Child Went Forth," "Who Learns My Lessons Complete," and "Great are the
Myths."
This particular copy was originally owned by Thomas Rome, one of the printers of the
edition. It was the one millionth volume acquired by the University Libraries, donated by Mr.
and Mrs. James W. Haltiwanger and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Haltiwanger in memory of James
W. Haltiwanger, Sr.
Leaves of Grass (Brooklyn, 1856)
Myerson A 2.2
The second edition includes thirty-two poems, now with titles, including such significant
additions as "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," "Song of the Open Road," and "By Blue Ontario's
Shore," the last partially composed of lines from the first edition's preface. There is also a
forty-two-page appendix of first edition reviews entitled "Leaves Droppings." The focal point
of "Leaves Droppings" is a laudatory letter of thanks from Ralph Waldo Emerson which
Whitman received in return for a complimentary copy of the first edition. Whitman used the
letter as an endorsement without Emerson's permission, going so far as to quote it on the
spine of this edition. Emerson's immediate reaction to Whitman's promotional tactics is
unknown, but, considering the book's stormy public reception, it is unlikely that he would
have been pleased.
Leaves of Grass was thought well of not only by Emerson but also by Bronson Alcott and
Henry David Thoreau, who visited Whitman in Brooklyn in 1856. Their admiration, though,
was not insufficient to find a publisher for the third edition. Whitman returned to journalism,
taking up the editorship of the BrooklynDaily Times in 1857. Two years would pass before
he would leave the position and turn once again to composing poems for his anticipated
third edition.
Leaves of Grass (Boston: Thayer and Eldridge; London: Trübner, 1860-61)
Myerson A 2.3.a2
The young, progressive Boston publishing firm of Thayer & Eldridge was eager to be
associated with Whitman and brought out the third edition in 1860. The first printing of 1000
copies sold quickly, and Whitman planned to publish a follow-up volume, Banner at DayBreak. However, his good fortune ran out when Thayer & Eldridge went bankrupt in
December of 1860. To Whitman's dismay, the third edition's plates were sold at auction and
eventually fell into the hands of Richard Worthington's New York publishing firm.
Worthington continued to reprint the book for a number of years without the author's
permission.
The third edition, considered by many critics to be the most successful, is remarkable for its
inclusion of 122 additional poems. Most significant of these are the 45 poems in the
"Calamus" cluster, a series based on themes of love, friendship, and homoeroticism. Also of
note are "Starting from Paumanok" and "A Child's Reminiscence" (more commonly known
by its first line "Out of Cradle Endlessly Rocking").
The original exhibit included one of three known copies from a small British issue of the
edition; it is comprised of American sheets with a pasted label on the title page. The copy is
part of the collection of Joel Myerson.
Leaves of Grass Imprints. American and European Criticism of Leaves of Grass
(Boston: Thayer and Eldridge, 1860)
Myerson D 4
This small advertising pamphlet for the third edition reprinted a number of critical responses
to the first and second editions ofLeaves of Grass, and a few of the anonymous reviews
were actually written by Whitman himself. Due to its slight size and construction, this item is
exceptionally rare today.
ISLAND 2
1
Island 2: Changes and Additions
After the publication of the third edition of Leaves of Grass, Whitman continued to write
occasional pieces for New York periodicals. In 1862, though, news that one of his brothers
had been wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg caused Whitman to relocate to
Washington. Securing a post as copyist for the army's paymaster, Whitman volunteered his
afternoons nursing Union casualties in the area's many hospitals. These experiences
served as the foundation for much of his subsequent poetry.
Drum-Taps (New York, 1865)
Myerson A 3.1.a2
Whitman's next addition to Leaves of Grass, the volume Drum-taps, contains the most
important poetry that emerged from the American Civil War, including "Cavalry Crossing a
Ford," "Bivouac on a Mountain Side," and "The Wound-Dresser" (originally titled "The
Dresser"). The first issue had already been printed and bound before Lincoln was
assassinated in 1865, but, shortly after Lincoln's death, Whitman came out with the second
issue, which included the twenty-four page "Sequel to Drum-Taps" appended to the back of
the volume. Two of Whitman's most famous poems, "O Captain, My Captain" and "When
Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," both elegies for the deceased president, made their
first appearances here. The former, in which Whitman uncharacteristically uses a regular
rhythm and rhyme scheme, is often scorned by scholars, but the latter is certainly one of
Whitman's greatest achievements. Both are responses to the death of President Lincoln,
and together they illustrate Whitman's wide-ranging capabilities. The exhibit copy is of this
second issue.
Early in 1865 Whitman had been transfered to the Interior Department, but in June of that
year he was unexpectedly dismissed when the new Secretary, James Harlan, found his
working copy of Leaves of Grass in a desk drawer. Harland objected to the book as
obscene and, when asked to reinstate Whitman by the Attorney General, absolutely refused
to give the poet his position back. Though Whitman would eventually be transfered to the
Attorney General's office, the obscenity issue continued to surround Leaves of Grass.
Leaves of Grass (New York: 1867)
Myerson A 2.4.a2
There are three issues of the fourth edition of 1866-67. All three contain the 338page Leaves of Grassproper, which is followed in the first issue by Drum-Taps, Sequel to
Drum-Taps, and Songs Before Parting. The second issue omits Sequel to Drum-Taps, while
the third issue contains only the 338 pages of Leaves of Grass. Of the few new poems in
the main section, "One's-Self I Sing" has garnered the most critical attention. Many of the
older poems were revised, and two of the clusters were redivided. The exhibit copy is from
the second issue.
Poems of Walt Whitman, Selected and Edited by William Michael Rossetti
(London: J.C. Hotten, 1868)
Myerson C 1
William Michael Rossetti, the brother of better-known poets Dante Gabriel and Christina,
was a founding member of the pre-Raphaelite movement and an ardent republican, and as
such took a deep interest in Whitman. John Camden Hotten had earned a reputation as a
publisher who was willing to bring out books that others wished censored, including A. C.
Swinburne's "indecent" Poems and Ballads. Their collaboration provided Whitman with his
first foreign publication, resulting in increased attention both at home and abroad. The
Rossetti edition is the only book in which Whitman consented to any changes or
expurgations of his work. Although Rossetti handled the matter judiciously, Whitman was
never satisfied with the book. 1500 copies were printed.
As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free and Other Poems (Washington, 1872)
Myerson A 7.1.a1
This poem was written upon invitation to be read at the Dartmouth College commencement
in 1872. The Preface to this work is significant, for in it Whitman claims that he has
completed Leaves of Grass and is moving on to new poetic undertakings. The succeeding
years, however, would prove that he could not keep himself from periodically
revisingLeaves of Grass. This copy is signed by the author.
Leaves of Grass (Washington, 1872)
Myerson A 2.5.b1
With the fifth edition, the poems of Drum-Taps andSequel to Drum-Taps (1865-66) have
been integrated into the text of Leaves of Grass, with the thirty-two of them forming the
central "cluster" of the book. The exhibit copy is from the first issue of the second printing
and includes a 120-page annex, "Passage to India."
Leaves of Grass (Washington, 1872 [i.e., London: John Camden Hotten, 1873])
Myerson A 2.6, binding A
The sixth edition is an anonymously published type facsimile which was printed in London
by Hotten, and it contains a number of textual and printing variants which distinguish it from
the American fifth edition. Hotten had pirated the book and, in an effort to avoid British
censorship laws, posed as the book's distributor rather than publisher. Though it was
published in 1872, it did not appear until the following year.
On January 23, 1873, while at work, Whitman suffered a stroke that left him partially
paralyzed on his left side. Unable to work, he took a leave of absence and moved to
Camden, New Jersey, to live with his mother and his brother. Three days after his arrival,
though, his mother died, leaving Whitman devastated. A year later his clerkship, for which
he had been forced to hire a replacement, was eliminated to cut costs, and Whitman was
forced to rely on his brother's financial support.
Memoranda During the War Author's Publication (Camden, NJ, 1875-76)
Myerson A 8.1.a2
Memoranda During the War is based upon Whitman's notebooks and diaries from the war
years. He had first proposed publishing the book in 1863, but he had been unable to gather
support for the endeavor. He finally published the book himself in 1875, binding the first
issue inTwo Rivulets, a collection of his prose works. The exhibit copy is from the separately
published second issue, which appeared shortly after Two Rivulets; it is possible that the
second issue consisted of no more than a hundred copies.
Two Rivulets, including Democratic Vistas, Centennial Songs, and Passage to
India "Author's Edition" (Camden, NJ, 1876)
Myerson A 9.1.b, binding A
After he suffered the stroke, Whitman's revisions of Leaves of Grass became less
extensive. The "Author's Edition" issue ofLeaves was printed from the fifth edition plates,
and it was issued with Two Rivulets in uniform binding as a two-volume collection of poetry
and prose. Money to finance their publication came in large part from English subscribers,
including Edmund Gosse, William Michael Rossetti, George Saintsbury, and Alfred, Lord
Tennyson. Whitman kept a supply of these books on hand and autographed them as they
were sold.
ISLAND 3
2
Island 3: The Multiform Seventh Edition
Between 1876 and 1881, the aging Whitman spent much of his time traveling. His first
journeys took him to a friend's farm in Pennsylvania where he continued recuperating from
his stroke. Once his health had returned, though, his travels expanded, visiting upstate New
York (1878), Colorado (1879), and Ontario (1880).
Leaves of Grass (Boston: James R. Osgood, [1881])
Myerson A 2.7.a1, first state
In 1881, Whitman signed a contract with the respected Boston publishing firm of James R.
Osgood and Company, and they brought out the seventh edition, which contained twenty
new poems. The revisions Whitman made for this edition of Leaves would be final, and any
new material he produced over the next decade would be annexed to the back of this 382page Leaves of Grass text. Initial sales of the 1881-82 Osgood edition were very good, but
in March of 1882 the District Attorney of Boston labeled the book as "obscene" and ordered
it to be either expurgated or withdrawn from public sale. Whitman refused to compromise
his work, and Osgood discontinued publication, handing over to the author approximately
225 unbound copies and the stereotype plates from which they had been printed. These
plates were used for a total of fifteen printings with a variety of publishers. The seventh
edition of Leaves of Grass is therefore the most bibliographically complex of all Whitman's
works. This copy is the first state of the first printing, with the title page reading "1881-2."
The second state reads "1881-82."
The original exhibition included two additional printings from the seventh edition, both from
the collection of Joel Myerson. The first, Myerson A 2.7.b2, was from the second printing,
published in London by David Bogue to secure British copyright after Trübner refused to
serve as British distributor. The second, Myerson A 2.7.c1, was a copy of the third printing,
distinguished by a title page that reads "Third Edition." Published by James R. Osgood in
Boston, it consisted of 510 copies, printed on December 17, 1881.
Leaves of Grass "Author's Edition" (Camden, NJ, 1882)
Myerson A 2.7.c3
Whitman bound some of the remaining sheets which J. R. Osgood had printed and issued it
with his own title page as the "Author's Edition" in 1882. There were between 200 and 250
copies in the issue; the title-page of the exhibit copy is signed by Whitman.
Leaves of Grass (Philadelphia Rees Welsh, 1882)
Myerson A 2.7.d
In June of 1882, Rees Welsh took over production of the seventh edition from Osgood and
went through five printings in less than a year, capitalizing on the book's scandalous
reputation after it had been banned in Boston. Over 2000 copies were reported sold in the
first week of sales. The edition changed publisher's hands again when Rees Welsh was
bought out by David McKay in November of the same year.
Leaves of Grass (Glasgow: Wilson & McCormick, 1883)
Myerson A 2.7.j2
After taking over production of Leaves of Grass, David McKay exported one hundred copies
to Scotland in June of 1883 for distribution by the firm of Wilson & McCormick. Royalty
statements show that Whitman received 17½ cents for each copy sent abroad, half of what
he received for domestic sales.
ISLAND 4
3
Island 4: Endings
Specimen Days & Collect (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1882-83 [i.e., 1888])
Myerson A 11.1.b2
This volume of prose contains a brief autobiography, a revised version of Memoranda
During the War, and a miscellany of nature notes, diary entries, and essays. The book was
first printed by Rees Welsh in the fall of 1882, but it was taken over by McKay later that
same year. McKay bound the book uniformly with a printing of the seventh edition
ofLeaves and presented to books as a two-volume Complete Works. This is one of three
known copies from the second issue, with the title page bearing "1882-'88."
Leaves of Grass (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1884 [i.e., 1888])
Myerson A 2.7.k3
David McKay issued printings of the seventh edition of Leaves of Grass in 1882, 1883,
1884, and 1888. This copy is from the third issue of the edition's eleventh printing, and it
includes a twenty-two page annex, "Sands at Seventy," at the back of the book. Between
1882 and October of 1891, the firms of Rees Welsh and David McKay sold a total of 6414
copies of the seventh edition. Whitman's royalties for these sales totaled $2244.90, or just
34¢ per copy. Four hundred export copies brought him an addition $70.
Complete Poems and Prose of Walt Whitman, 1855-1888 (Philadelphia: Ferguson
Bros., 1888)
Myerson A 2.7.m, binding A
This is yet another printing (the thirteenth) of the seventh edition of Leaves of Grass, this
time with Whitman's prose works appended to the back of the book. This copy is designated
as an "authenticated and personal book" which has been handled by Whitman, and it also
contains portraits and an autograph. Six hundred copies of Complete Poems and
Prosewere printed, and Whitman designed the spine label for this alternate binding variant.
Leaves of Grass with Sands at Seventy and A Backward Glance O'er Travel'd
Roads(Philadelphia: Ferguson Bros., 1889)
Myerson A 2.7.n, binding A
The 1889 "birthday edition" of Leaves of Grass is actually the fourteenth printing of the
seventh edition. It is the culmination of Whitman's long-time desire to publish a pocket-size
edition of his work, and only three hundred copiers were printed. This copy bears on the first
fly-leaf the inscription "E E Read from his friend the author" and is signed by Whitman on
the title page.
This copy was a gift to the library from the collection of Clifford Odets.
Good-Bye My Fancy. 2d Annex to Leaves of Grass (Philadelphia: David McKay,
1891)
Myerson A 13, binding C
With Horace Traubel's assistance, Whitman was able to come out with this small issue of
prose and poetry. After publiction, the plates were repaginated 407-422 and used as an
annex to the 1891 Leaves of Grass.
Leaves of Grass; Including Sands at Seventy, Goodbye My Fancy, and A Backward
Glance O'er Travel'd Roads (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1891-'2)
Myerson A 2.7.l2
The 1891-92 "Deathbed Edtion" of Leaves of Grass is in fact the second issue of the
seventh edition's twelfth printing; the annexes are also reprintings. With his health failing,
Whitman "created" this final "edition" of Leaves of Grass by using sheets from an 1888
printing. He bound them with cancel title and contents leaves and with the annexes
appended at the back. Whitman wrote for this edition "An Executor's Diary Note, 1891"
which states "that whatever may be added to the Leavesshall be supplementary, avowed as
such, leaving the book complete as I left it." Whitman knew that he had little time left and
that this would be his last edition. The book appeared for sale early in 1892, and Whitman
died in his Camden, New Jersey home on March 26 of that year.