Leaves of Grass

Whitman's lifelong book of free verse celebrating the self, democracy, and the American body electric.

Specifications & Metrics

author

Walt Whitman

type

Poetry collection

era

American Renaissance (1855–1892)

language

English

verse form

Free verse

cantos count

1

Core Principles & Analysis

• Whitman self-published the first twelve-poem edition in 1855 and set some of its type himself.
• He revised and expanded it across editions for nearly forty years.
• 'Song of Myself' anchors the book's vision of democratic selfhood.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Leaves of Grass