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The collection of poems that changed American poetry
1855Slow paceThoughtful
What it is about
Walt Whitman published Leaves of Grass in 1855 and revised it throughout his life. The poems celebrate nature, democracy, the body and the self in long, free-flowing lines. The book was controversial, and it helped define a new American voice.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who want a landmark of American poetry.
What you will get
A book Whitman kept expanding. Different editions contain different poems.
Leaves of Grass Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Classics · Poetry · American voice · Nature
Length
480 pages · ≈ 14 h
More about this book
Characters
A broad, speaking “I” that stands for everyone.
Setting
America in the nineteenth century.
What makes it different
Poems in free verse with long lines and a conversational tone.
Feel
Expansive, lyrical and bold.
The Divine Comedy
The Pilgrim's Progress
Waiting for Godot
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
The Brothers Karamazov
Walden; or Life in the Woods
The Stranger
The Screwtape Letters