内容简介
OneofthegreatinnovativefiguresinAmericanletters,WaltWhitmancreatedadaringlynewkindofpoetrythatbecameamajorforceinworldliterature.LeavesOfGrassishisonebook.Firstpublishedin1855withonlytwelvepoems,itwasgreetedbyRalphWaldoEmersonas"thewonderfulgift...themostextraordinarypieceofwitandwisdomthatAmericahasyetcontributed."OverthecourseofWhitman'slife,thebookreappearedinmanyversions,expandedandtransformedastheauthor'sexperiencesandthenation'shistorychangedandgrew.Whitman'sambitionwastocreatessomethinguniquelyAmerican.Inthathesucceeded.HispoemshavebeenwovenintotheveryfabricoftheAmericancharacter.Fromhissolemnmasterpieces"WhenLilacsLastintheDooryardBloom'd"and"OutoftheCradleEndlesslyRocking"tothejoyousfreedomof"SongofMyself,""ISingtheBodyElectric,"and"SongoftheOpenRoad,"Whitman'sworkliveson,aninspirationtothepoetsoflatergenerations.
作者简介
Beforetheageofthirty-sixtherewasnosignthatWaltWhitmanwouldbecomeevenaminorliteraryfigure,letalonethemajorpoeticvoiceofanemergingAmerica.Bornin1819onLongIsland,hewasthesecondsonofacarpenterandcontractor.Hisformalschoolingendedatageeleven,whenhewasapprenticedtoaprinterinBrooklyn.Hebecameajourneymanprinterin1835andspentthenexttwodecadesasaprinter,free-lancewriter,andeditorinNewYork.In1855,athisownexpense,hepublishedthetwelvelongpoems,withouttitles,thatmakeupthefirsteditionofLeavesofGrass.Thebook,withitsunprecedentedmixtureofthemysticalandtheearthy,wasreceivedwithpuzzlementorsilence,exceptbyAmerica'smostdistinguishedwriter,RalphWaldoEmerson.Whitmanlostnotimeinpreparingasecondedition,adding"CrossingBrooklynFerry"andnineteenothernewpoemsin1856.Withthethirdedition(1860),thebookhadtripledinsize.Whitmanwouldgoonaddingtoitandrevisingitfortherestofhislife.Whitman'spoetryslowlyachievedawidereadershipinAmericaandinEngland.HewaspraisedbySwinburneandTennyson,andvisitedbyOscarWilde.Hesufferedastrokein1873andspenttheremainderofhislifeinCamden,NewJersey.HisfinaleditionofLeavesofGrassappearedin1892,theyearofhisdeath.
