A Literary Revolution by Christina Ballee

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Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass was a landmark work of poetry when it appeared in 1855. In all of American literary history up to that point (and not many now), there had never been a piece written that equaled Whitman’s work. It challenged the public in religious, social, and stylistic ways, moving Whitman to the top rung of the controversial issues ladder. But even though there was a large public uprising against his work, he did America an incredible service by the way in which he developed his writing. Whitman took literary tradition and tossed it to the wind, giving rise to a movement that gave America a literary independence

Before Leaves of Grass emerged, America had been focused on British literature that had a Gothic style and a general theme of love for Britain. Whitman’s movement brought a focus to America. R.W.B. Lewis writes (1865), “Whitman was the first American poet to break free from the convention of iambic pentameter as the principal and most decorous meter for poetry in English; in so doing he added to the declaration of literary independence – from England... (p.73)” So not only did it bring the reader’s focus to America, it also brought the writer’s focus to a newly liberated writing style. Poets were no longer stuck in a traditional literary style, but were able to develop their own personal style that was distinctive to American literature. I see Leaves of Grass as complete literary liberation. It ripped the bonds off of tradition and made way for a storm of now historically significant poets. His work laid down the very foundations of what American poetry is today.

According to Canby (1943), Whitman’s focus on the greatness of democratic America stems from his observations of the normal, everyday people like the tradesmen, sailors, and mechanics. He saw leaders among them that had the potential to make America great. Whitman writes (1855), “It is for the admirable communes of literary men and composers and singers and lecturers and engineers and savans, it is for the endless races of working people and farmers and seamen (p. 34).” Growing up, he was not living among the rich, upper-class people that would lead the country’s government. He was a dreamer that saw whimsical potential in the mass changes that were happening throughout the country, as the old fell and the new arose (p. 35). So from a young age, his passion for America was developing, and with it, a drive to make America distinct.

Despite Whitman’s admirable gesture of his poetry, it was not received well by the American people. In an unsigned review (1856), the author writes “There is neither wit nor method in his disjointed babbling, and it seems to us he must be some escaped lunatic, raving in pitiable delirium (p. 62).” Another unsigned review (1872) states, “We know only, that, in point of style, the book is impertinence towards the English language; and in point of sentiment, an affront upon the recognized morality of respectable people (p. 150).” As happens frequently in American society, when something infringes on someone’s belief system, or seems to threaten the way they do things, people do not receive it well. Many people of the time failed to look past the vulgarities and rambling style and see the potential of what Leaves of Grass could mean for American literature. For this reason, Whitman was I am sure, deprived of much praise during his lifetime. But an interesting insight is given by a third unsigned author. He writes (1873), “It takes seven years to learn to appreciate Walt Whitman’s poetry. At least it took me precisely that time…I understand it now, I have learned its purpose and caught the subtle melody of its lines…what you call vagueness and obscurity is simply the art of the musician, the only art that transcends the art of the poet (152-153).” So for at least that author, it took lengthy time and study to appreciate Whitman’s writing. With literary style having again been heavily influenced by the Gothic British style, one would expect a significant upheaval from such a blatant work with seemingly no reservations.

Leaves of Grass is an example of literary revolution, and marks a significant point in America’s literary history. Whitman took ordinary life with all of its details, and transformed it into a challenging prose that glorified everything that America stands for. It shifted America’s attention from British literature to literature written in their homeland. It inspired a sense of freedom, which was what Whitman’s beloved America was founded upon. His work will forever to be a beacon in America’s history.

Works Cited

Boston Intelligence (1856). The Opinions. In Milton Hindus (Ed.), Walt Whitman: The Critical Heritage pp. 61). New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Inc.

Canby, Henry Seidel (1943). Walt Whitman: An American. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Christian Examiner (1856). Imprints. In Milton Hindus (Ed.), Walt Whitman the Critical Heritage (pp. 62). New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Inc.

Lewis, R.W.B. (1965). Walt Whitman: Always Going Out and Coming In. In Harold Bloom (Ed.), Bloom’s Modern Critical Views, Walt Whitman pp. 73). New York, NY: Chelsea House.

Matador (1873). New York Graphic. In Milton Hindus (Ed.), Walt Whitman the Critical Heritage (pp. 152-153). New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Inc.

Robert Buchanan (1872). The Fleshly School of Poetry. Imprints. In Milton Hindus (Ed.), Walt Whitman the Critical Heritage (pp. 150). New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Inc.

Whitman, Walt (1855). Leaves of Grass. In Joslyn T. Pine (Ed.), Leaves of Grass: The Origional 1855 Edition (p.34). Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc.