Walt Whitman's Song of Myself: A Sourcebook and Critical Edition / Edition 1

by Walt Whitman, Ezra Greenspan

Overview

This sourcebook includes the full text of Song of Myself.
Since 1855, Walt Whitman's Song of Myself has been enjoyed, debated, parodied and imitated by readers, critics and artists crossing national and linguistic boundaries. Many argue that it is the most influential poem ever written by an American.
This sourcebook and critical edition provides easy access to:
*information on the contexts of Whitman's work, including biographical details and a chronology
*an overview of the critical reception of the poem and extracts from important criticism, reprinted with clear introductory headnotes
*key passages from the original 1855 edition, with commentary and annotation
*the full 'final' 1881 edition of the poem.
Cross-references link the critical, contextual and textual sections of the volume, encouraging an integrated understanding of this creative and controversial text. Complementing a wealth of material with suggestions for further reading, this volume is ideal for readers with no knowledge of the poem, or for those returning anew to a favourite text.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415275446
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/02/2004
Series:	Routledge Guides to Literature
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Ezra Greenspan is Professor of English at the University of South Carolina and has published widely on Walt Whitman.

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1: Contexts; Contextual Overview; Political and Social Context; Cultural Context; A Life in Print, with Portraits; Chronology; Contemporary Documents; Advertisement for Leaves of Grass, New York Daily Tribune, 7 July 1855; Advertisement for 1881 Leaves of Grass, Critic 1 (13 August 1881): 221; "Counter-Jumps: A Poemettina, After Walt Whitman," Vanity Fair (17 March 1860): 183; Directory of Contextual Figures 2: Interpretations 3: Key Passages and Full Text 4: Further Reading