Leaves of Grass is a collection of poetry written by the renowned American poet, Walt Whitman It was first published in 1855 and has since been considered one of the most influential works of American literature. This collection of poetry is often credited with defining the American poetic voice and has become a classic of American literature.
At the center of Leaves of Grass is the concept of “the self”. Whitman was a great believer in the power of the individual, and his poetry celebrates the individual’s potential for greatness. He argued that the individual self is capable of becoming one with the larger world and can “transcend the divisions of race, class, and gender”. The themes of his poems include human experience, nature, life, death, and mortality. The collection also examines the relationship between the individual and the natural world, exploring the use of nature as a metaphor for the human experience.
The following are five of the best examples from Leaves of Grass:
1. “Song of Myself”: This poem is widely considered Whitman’s signature piece. It follows the narrator’s journey to self-discovery and acceptance of the world. In the poem, he affirms his identity in the universal and celebrates the joy of life.
2. “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”: This poem captures the spirit of free-flowing urban life and its rhythms of day and night. Through this poem, Whitman celebrates the joy of connection, as he looks across the river and finds that “every man is a part of the main”.
3. “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”: This poem is an elegy for the recently assassinated Abraham Lincoln, who the author greatly admired. Through this piece of writing, Whitman pays tribute to the former president and mourns the tragic loss of such a great leader.
4. “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking”: In this poem, Whitman reflects on his own childhood as he watches a baby bird that has been abandoned by its parents. He uses this experience to explore the feeling of loneliness and our search for connection and belonging.
5. “Sea-Drift”: In this poem, Whitman contemplates the mystifying power of the sea. He observes how the ocean unites people and cultures and brings them together, while also separating them through its vast waters.
In short, Leaves of Grass is a masterful collection of poetry by Walt Whitman that celebrates the power of the individual and the mysteries of human experience. The works reflect the author’s belief in the potential of the self, as well as his exploration of the natural world and mortality. Among the best poems in the collection are “Song of Myself”, “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”, “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking”, and “Sea-Drift”. These pieces of writing have stood the test of time and continue to be celebrated as timeless works of American literature.