Leaves of Grass: The Original 1855 Edition Illustrated

Many books are worth reading, and some are essential.

One of those essential books was written by Walt Whitman (1819–1892), a great American poet, “a singer of the Universe and Humanity”. Influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalist movement, Whitman created a genuine revolution in the world of poetry. His powerful voice shook the foundations of poetic speech. The echo of his voice continues to sound throughout the 21st century, reflected in new poetic phenomena.

“Leaves of Grass” is Walt Whitman’s best-known book, and is permeated with the light of joy, as a temple of art, which the author was renovating and rebuilding throughout his life.

The first edition of “Leaves of Grass”, consisting of 12 verses, was published in July 1855. It continues to inspire readers and guide writers of poetry.

“Resist much, obey little.”

“Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)”

“I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”
― Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

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