Whitman

Walt Whitman's importance in the Western literary canon cannot be overstated. Frequently named the father of American letters, he is best known for the free verse collection Leaves of Grass, which is expounded upon in this thoughtful critique. Initially self-published, the collection grew in popularity after being praised by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Many contemporary reviewers accused Whitman of obscenity as a result of his poetry's overtly sexual content. Speculation about his sexuality?the result of the homosexual overtones of his work?has been rife and inconclusive. Illustrating and elucidating the biography of this great poet using extracts from his verse, Richard Canning�presents�an intuitive understanding of a frequently misunderstood figure.