"The Frailest Leaves of Me": A Study of the Text and Music for Whitman's "To What You Said"

Abstract

Examines in depth a little-known Whitman poem, "To What You Said," examining the manuscript of the poem and offering "a re-examination of crucial biographical events, an extensive comparative textual analysis" and a "response to the subtleties revealed when the written word is sung" in the musical setting of the poem composed by Leonard Bernstein; written by the world-renowned baritone and his personal assistant.