New Books in Literary Studies On Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass"
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Aug 5, 2022 
In this engaging discussion, Harvard professor Elisa New, an expert on Walt Whitman and the creator of Poetry in America, delves into the rich tapestry of Whitman's life and work. She explores his Brooklyn roots, the bold ambitions behind Leaves of Grass, and the critical reception of his provocative poetry. New highlights Whitman's unique style that celebrates urban diversity, his vision of a porous self, and the embodiment of democratic ideals. She also connects Whitman’s legacy to contemporary artists and his influence on movements like hip hop.
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Poetry That Embodies A Nation
- Walt Whitman reoriented American poetry toward the body and the embodied self rather than abstract intellect or strict form.
- He declared "these United States are themselves the greatest poem," tying poetic ambition to national identity.
Whitman Self-Printed And Hustled Praise
- Whitman printed the first Leaves of Grass himself at the print shop where he had worked.
- He then mailed a copy to Ralph Waldo Emerson and later bound Emerson's praise into new editions.
Form Matches Democratic Scale
- Whitman's form broke with rhymed, memorizable verse, using long free-flowing lines that overflow pages and blur poem boundaries.
- This scale matched his ambition to write a poem larger than any single reader or moment.
