Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass"

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the themes of the adult/child relationship, friendship and politics in Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass", along with several sub-themes and related minor themes, against the backdrop of Whitman's humility. Textual analysis is married with examinations of Whitman's own history through biographies and accounts, to develop a clearer picture of the man, the poet, the experimenter and the purveyor of his own ideas and beliefs in adult/child relationships, friendship and politics.

Introduction
Adult/Child Relationships
Friendship
Political Views
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Walt Whitman was not a shy man. After he released the original edition of "Leaves of Grass" in 1855, Whitman was disappointed by slow sales. The verses did not seem marketable in and of themselves, and Whitman had handicapped his own success by choosing to print his long lines of poetry on larger-than-average paper: 8 inches by 11. (Harness, 2004) He had enjoyed some modest success with his 1840s moralistic novel, "Franklin Evans," so Whitman expected large returns and brilliant critical acclaim for "Leaves of Grass.""

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