Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - 1876.

Camden, New Jersey. , 1876.. A fine and handsome example of this important work, the text is clean and crisp.

. Binding: contemporary half morocco over green marbled boards, title in gilt on brown morocco label on spine. Rebacked skillfully saving the original spine., Notes: Leaves of Grass is a poetry collection by the American poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892).

Although the first edition was published in 1855, Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and re-writing Leaves of Grass, revising it multiple times until his death. This resulted in vastly different editions over four decades—the first, a small book of twelve poems and the last, a compilation of over 400. The poems of Leaves of Grass are loosely connected, with each representing Whitman's celebration of his philosophy of life and humanity. This book is notable for its discussion of delight in sensual pleasures during a time when such candid displays were considered immoral. Where much previous poetry, especially English, relied on symbolism, allegory, and meditation on the religious and spiritual, Leaves of Grass exalted the body and the material world. Influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalist movement, itself an offshoot of Romanticism, Whitman's poetry praises nature and the individual human's role in it. However, much like Emerson, Whitman does not diminish the role of the mind or the spirit; rather, he elevates the human form and the human mind, deeming both worthy of poetic praise.

Walt Whitman (1819–1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. His work was controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described as obscene for its overt sensuality. Whitman's own life came under scrutiny for his presumed homosexuality.


, Size: 8vo., , Illustration: A signed copy by Walt Whitman and W. A. Sherwood. Signed on title.
Previous owner John D. Rockefeller.
With 2 portraits.

, Provenance: Previous owner’s note, signed John D. Rockefeller. , Category: Book Literature