قصة الكتاب :
Leaves of Grass is a collection of poems by American poet Walt Whitman. The first edition was published in 1855 but was a work that continually progressed and took new forms. Whitman spent most of his life re-writing Leaves of Grass, revising it several times. The book has seen itself being transformed over four decades. What started off as a book of twelve poems ended up being a solid compilation of over 400. The poems in this compilation each represent the author\'s philosophy of life and humanity. The book is notable for its discussion of delight in sensual pleasures at a time when such candid displays of expression were considered immoral. Most of the existent poetry at the time mainly dealt with religious or spiritual themes, whereas Leaves of Grass (particularly the first edition) exalted the body and the material world.
\r\nThe book’s long non-rhyming lines almost read like Bible verses. It is worth noting how words or phrases are repeated at the start of a set of lines, building up a pattern which Whitman takes care to break before it loses its ability to captivate the reader. There are several underlying themes in his writing. It is apparent that Whitman’s main concern was to celebrate his own individuality. He wanted to give democracy the spotlight and underline the achievements of the American nation. He also wanted to add his thoughts to the ideas that surrounded life’s enduring mysteries – birth, death, resurrection and reincarnation. Leaves of Grass was Whitman’s only book of poetry. The first edition did not have his name on the cover, instead it carried an instantly recognizable picture of him on the frontispiece. \r\n
\r\nSome of the notable poems in the first edition were Song of Myself and I Sing the Body Electric which celebrated the beauty of the human body. The third edition (1860-61) contained 122 new poems that included the famous “Calamus” poems, which hinted at an intense homosexual relationship. The Civil War poems, Drum-Taps and Sequel to Drum-Taps formed part of the fourth edition (1867). The seventh edition (1881–82) grouped the poems in their final order, and the eighth edition (1889) incorporated his November Boughs. He also wrote buoyant poems for his ninth, “deathbed” edition (1891–92). Due to the habit he had of constantly revising his own work, one can see how the poems evolve. His finest poem is The Sleepers in which he creates a triumphant ending and puts forward questions about the limitations of just a single human life. At the time of its publication, Whitman’s poetry faced plenty of criticism for its explicit sexual imagery but over time this has changed. Today Whitman’s work is viewed as one of the most significant works of American literature. \r\n