Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (Part 1 of 3)

Leaves of Grass
by
Walt Whitman

Complete #audiobook

Experience a visionary collection from one of the most famous poets in US history, as an audiobook! This seminal work of transcendentalism, including the beloved poems “Song of Myself” and “I Sing the Body Electric,” was hugely controversial for its celebration of sensual love. Ralph Waldo Emerson hailed it as “the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom.”

In 1855, Walt Whitman published, at his own expense, the first edition of Leaves of Grass, a visionary volume of twelve poems. Showing the influence of a uniquely American form of mysticism known as Transcendentalism, the writing is distinguished by an explosively innovative free-verse style and previously unmentionable subject matter. Exalting nature, celebrating the human body, and praising the senses and sexual love, this monumental work, now a classic of American poetry, was condemned as immoral upon publication. Included in this edition are some of the greatest poems of modern times, works that continue to upset conventional notions of beauty and originality even today.

Originally published in 1855, the work started as a collection of 12 unnamed poems. However, Whitman spent most of his life writing and re-writing Leaves of Grass, resulting in many different editions published throughout his life. The final collection, which is recorded here, is a compilation of about 400 poems separated into 35 books.

This book is notable for its discussion of delight in sensual pleasures, and exalting the body and the material world. At the time, such candid displays were considered highly immoral, which led to reviews considering it "offensive", "obscene", "a mass of stupid filth", or suggesting it should have been burned after writing. Leaves of Grass even became banned in various locations, which only led to increased sales, with some printings even selling out on the first day. To this day, the work's legacy remains strong, and is one of the most important collections of American poetry.

Among some of the best known poems contained in this work are "O captain! My captain!", "I sing the body electric", and "Song of Myself".

A LibriVox Public Domain Audiobook.

Chapters:
0:00 Book 1: Inscriptions
24:13 Book 2: Starting from Paumanok
52:15 Book 3: Song of Myself, part 1
1:47:15 Book 3: Song of Myself, part 2
2:31:50 Book 3: Song of Myself, part 3
3:04:37 Book 4: Children of Adam
3:51:07 Book 5: Calamus
4:37:05 Book 6: Salut au Monde!
5:01:23 Book 7: Song of the Open Road
5:25:27 Book 8: Crossing Brooklyn Ferry
5:39:59 Book 9: Song of the Answerer
5:49:52 Book 10: Our Old Feuillage
6:03:21 Book 11: A Song of Joys

Видео Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (Part 1 of 3) канала The Aventus Mind