Name/Title
Leaves of GrassEntry/Object ID
2023.348.1Description
“In 1855, Whitman published his first edition of Leaves of Grass, a slim volume consisting of twelve untitled poems and a preface. He designed the cover, and typeset and paid for the printing of the book himself. […] A year later, in 1856, Whitman released a second edition of the book with a total of thirty-three poems. Over the course of his life, Whitman continued to rework and enlarge the volume, publishing several more editions of the book. The version left in 1892, at the time of his death, contained 383 poems, including "When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d" and "O Captain! My Captain!" both written to memorialize President Lincoln. Well-known poems in the 1855 edition include "I Sing the Body Electric," "The Sleepers," and "Song of Myself, " a long poem in fifty-two sections, which is considered by many to be his masterpiece.” — Poets.orgInscription/Signature/Marks
Type
InscriptionLocation
Inside front coverTranscription
Happy Birthday, Buster
Peggo + Bonnie 2/25/44Language
EnglishMaterial/Technique
Handwritten, PenCreate Date
August 5, 2023
