Books › Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass
First published 2004 · 1584 pages
A sprawling, ecstatic hymn to the human body, the American landscape, and the divine spark within every blade of grass.
What it feels like
Reading this collection feels like standing on a high ridge, breathing in the vast, untamed expanse of the world. It is a deeply meandering and immersive experience, driven not by narrative but by a relentless, exuberant curiosity about every facet of existence. The poetry washes over you in rhythmic, incantatory waves, cataloging the sacredness of the ordinary, from the sweat of laborers to the quiet dignity of a blade of grass. The mood is overwhelmingly expansive and vital, shifting gracefully from thunderous, prophetic declarations to moments of startling, tender intimacy. It is a book for those who want to feel the pulse of humanity and nature beating as one, offering a transcendent, earthy embrace that lingers long after the final page.
- Mood
- expansive
- transcendent
- earthy
- vital
- awe-struck
- Tone
- exuberant
- earnest
- reverent
- prophetic
- intimate
- Pace
- meandering
- Themes
- the interconnectedness of all things · the democratic spirit · celebration of the physical body · the divinity of the ordinary · mortality and the cycle of life
- The writing
- Sweeping, rhythmic free verse characterized by incantatory repetition, sprawling catalogs, and an intensely physical, sensory vocabulary.
- The arc
- Moves from a joyous, ego-dissolving celebration of the self and the physical world to a profound, tender acceptance of mortality and the eternal cycle of life.
- Who it's for
- Readers who seek spiritual nourishment in nature, appreciate unabashed earnestness, and want to feel deeply connected to the vast tapestry of humanity.
Content notes
- war
- death
- grief
- illness
About the book
Leaves of Grass is a poetry collection by American poet Walt Whitman. First published in 1855, Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting Leaves of Grass, revising it multiple times until his death. There have been held to be either six or nine individual editions of Leaves of Grass, the count varying depending on how they are distinguished.[2] This resulted in vastly different editions over four decades—the first edition being a small book of twelve poems, and the last, a compilation of over 400.
Description from Open Library.
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