Leaves of Grass

As Malcolm Cowley says in his introduction, the first edition of Leaves of Grass 'might be called the buried masterpiece of American writing', for it exhibits 'Whitman at his best, Whitman at his freshest in vision and boldest in language, Whitman transformed by a new experience.' Mr Cowley has taken the first edition from its narrow circulation among scholars, faithfully edited it, added his own introduction and Whitman's original introduction (which never appeared in any other edition during Whitman's life), and returned it to the common readership to whom the great poet really speaks.

Walt Whitman

Editor's Introduction vii LEAVES OF GRASS Facsimile Frontispiece 2(1) Facsimile Title Page 3(2) Whitman's Introduction 5(20) Song of Myself1 25(62) A Song for Occupations 87(11) To Think of Time 98(7) The Sleepers 105(11) I Sing the Body Electric 116(8) Faces 124(5) Song of the Answerer 129(4) Europe: The 72d and 73d Years of These States 133(2) A Boston Ballad 135(3) There Was a Child Went Forth 138(2) Who Learns My Lesson Complete 140(2) Great Are the Myths 142