Two Previously Undocumented Reviews of Leaves of Grass

Abstract

1. Leaves of Grass (1856): Universally admired by men whose authority is unquestionablePasted within one of walt whitman's scrapbooks, now preserved in charles E. feinberg collection at library of congress, are two 1856 reviews of Leaves of Grass published within months of one another in New York Daily News. One of those reviews-a short, but favorable notice of second edition of Leaves of Grass, reprinted below and soon available on Walt Whitman archive-has until now remained undocumented.In februar y of 1856 Daily News dubbed first edition of Leaves of Grass the strangest, most extraordinary production ever reviewed in its pages. The Daily News repeats this sentiment in November 28, 1856, article transcribed below, characterizing whitman's work as admired by men whose authority is unquestionable. This lofty appraisal of second edition is no doubt influenced by two distinctive characteristics of 1856 Leaves of Grass itself: whitman's controversial decision to gold stamp ralph waldo Emerson's personal praise of poet in 1855 (i greet you at begin- ning of a great career) on spine of volume, and lengthy appendix leaves-droppings, which reprinted, among other items, Emerson's letter in full along with whitman's response to his master. Though not admired, design of 1856 Leaves of Grass suggested that at least one man of unquestionable authority stood behind w hitman's poetry.Many reviewers of this edition were incensed by whitman's unauthor- ized use of Emerson's endorsement on cover, but this Daily News review is a reminder that some found material presentation of 1856 edition refreshing, shameless blurb and all. much like Brooklyn Daily Times, which lauded improved typography of whitman's second edition, Daily News describes compact, cramped, yet pages of 1856 Leaves of Grass as a on 1855 edition.Whitman's personal copy of review was clipped out of newspaper mid-quotation; transcription below reprints, in brackets, missing pas- sage as it appears in 1856 Leaves of Grass.Leaves of Grass. Brooklyn, New york, 1856. for sale by fowler & wells, No. 308 Broadway.A new edition of walt whitman's wonderful poems.Leaves of Grass was first published something more than a year ago. it then appeared in a quarto form of 89 pages, and, as we understand, was set up and printed by author himself. The present edition is a decided improvement on first; it contains 384 pages, 18mo., and being neatly printed is much more desirable than quarto.We have heretofore reviewed walter whitman's poems, and spoken of them at considerable length, and spoken very highly of them, too. it is, of course, un- necessary to repeat what we have previously said, or even to enter largely into a discussion of eccentricities of author, or peculiarities and beauties of his poems. it will be sufficient to say that they have been almost universally admired by men whose authority is unquestionable, and with scarcely an excep- tion, have been highly praised by press of both this country and of England.Some of these leaves-droppings will be found at end of book, together with correspondence between ralph waldo Emerson and author. The beautiful testimonial from mr. Emerson has been means of gaining for walt whitman an increased number of admirers.In walt whitman's letter to mr. Emerson, he writes in precisely same style as he does in his poems. from that letter we take following extract. it presents an idea of his manner of writing, and truthfully describes a class of persons who are exactly opposite to walt w hitman. Here it is, and with it we close our notice:Up to present, as helps best, people, like a lot of large boys, have no determined tastes, are quite unaware of grandeur of themselves, and of their destiny, and of their immense strides-accept with vorac- ity whatever is presented them in novels, histories, newspapers, poems, schools, lectures, everything. …