Leaves of Grass

Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892)

American poet Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, is a collection of poems notable for its frank delight in and praise of the senses, 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.

Whitman was inspired to begin Leaves of Grass after reading an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson which expressed a need for a uniquely American poet. When the book was first published, Whitman sent a copy to Emerson, whose praiseful letter of response helped launch the book to success. Whitman’s hero, Abraham Lincoln, read and enjoyed an early version of Leaves of Grass. Despite such high recommendations, Whitman faced charges of obscenity and immorality for his work, but this only led to increased popularity of the book.

Whitman continually revised and republished Leaves of Grass throughout his lifetime, notably adding the “Drum-Taps” section after Lincoln’s assassination. The book grew from 12 poems in its first publication, which Whitman paid for and typeset himself, to nearly 400 poems in its final, “Death Bed Edition.” This recording is of the final edition.
(Summary adapted from wikipedia.org by Annie Coleman)

Genre(s): Poetry

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 Book 1 Gord Mackenzie
00:29:58
Play 02 Book 2 Hugh McGuire
00:33:49
Play 03 Book 3, Part 1 Gord Mackenzie
00:30:00
Play 04 Book 3, Part 2 Gord Mackenzie
00:43:38
Play 05 Book 3, Part 3 Gord Mackenzie
00:46:45
Play 06 Book 3, Part 4 Gord Mackenzie
00:37:50
Play 07 Book 4 Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)
00:50:23
Play 08 Book 5 Chris Mitchell
00:46:16
Play 09 Books 6-7 Chris Mitchell
00:50:46
Play 10 Books 8-10 Chris Mitchell
00:41:11
Play 11 Books 11-12 Chris Mitchell
00:45:23
Play 12 Book 13 Eric
00:20:52
Play 13 Book 14 Eric
00:10:34
Play 14 Book 15 Gord Mackenzie
00:24:34
Play 15 Book 16 Brett Shand
00:15:16
Play 16 Book 17 Hugh McGuire
00:31:14
Play 17 Book 18 Hugh McGuire
00:09:57
Play 18 Book 19 Gord Mackenzie
00:48:17
Play 19 Book 20 Hugh McGuire
00:23:45
Play 20 Book 21, Part 1 Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)
00:41:27
Play 21 Book 21, Part 2 Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023)
00:46:55
Play 22 Book 22 wedschild
00:15:21
Play 23 Book 23 Annie Coleman Rothenberg
00:35:27
Play 24 Book 24, Part 1 Annie Coleman Rothenberg
00:48:33
Play 25 Book 24, Part 2 Annie Coleman Rothenberg
00:44:20
Play 26 Book 25 Hugh McGuire
00:13:06
Play 27 Book 26 Hugh McGuire
00:20:11
Play 28 Books 27-28 Chip
00:27:58
Play 29 Books 29-30 Chip
00:40:19
Play 30 Book 31 Chip
00:14:49
Play 31 Book 32 Chip
00:50:48
Play 32 Book 33 Denny Sayers (d. 2015)
00:38:21
Play 33 Book 34 Tom Yates
00:49:06
Play 34 Book 35 Chris Goringe
00:28:49