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Walt Whitman |
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Whitman's radical experiments in poetic form and structure have generated a significant amount of FORMALIST analysis of his work, not only in terms of specific texts, but also with reference to the general attributes of his verse--diction, rhythm, parallelism, and other elements. The publishing history of Leaves of Grass is without parallel in American literature, and makes for a fascinating study. Since the inception of Whitman studies, a great deal of attention has been paid to the growth of this book of a life, from its original twelve untitled poems through a host of permutations and accretions to become the compendium known by most modern readers.
Much BIOGRAPHICAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL attention has been given not only to the growth of the book, but also to the growth of the mind and poetic sensibility behind the book, the tracing of the links and steps whereby the first version of Leaves of Grass seemed to come out of nowhere. The modes of HISTORICAL and SOCIOLOGICAL criticism have engendered discussion of Whitman's efforts to realize his intention of being the poet of America and of democracy. There has also been consideration of precisely what the terms "America" and "democracy" and a number of other relevant concepts would have signified to Whitman and his contemporaries.
In the last two decades, increasing attention has been paid, through the focus of GENDER studies, to Whitman's treatment of sexuality in human nature and relationships, both heterosexual and homosexual. The homosexual emphasis, naturally enough, has been given much greater attention, in light of Whitman's own sexuality and of his explorations of homoeroticism in his work, especially in the "Calamus" sequence in early editions of Leaves of Grass.
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