Walt Whitman 
Song of Myself 

Considered by many to be the quintessential American poet, Walt Whitman (1819–92) exerted a profound influence on all the American poets who came after him. And it was with this inspired, oceanic medley, ‘Song of Myself’ (which in the first editions of
Leaves of Grass was still nameless), that this great poet first made himself known to the world.

Readers familiar with the later, more widely published versions of
Leaves of Grass will find this first version of ‘Song of Myself’ new, surprising, and often superior to the later versions — and exhilarating in the freshness of its vision. In this inexpensive edition, this enormously influential work will especially delight students, teachers, and any devotee of Walt Whitman.

About the author

One of America’s most influential and innovative poets, Walt Whitman (1819–92) worked as a teacher, journalist, and volunteer nurse during the Civil War. Proclaimed as the nation’s first ‘poet of democracy, ‘ Whitman reached out to common readers and opposed censorship with his overt celebrations of sexuality.