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The Walt Whitman Archive

Burlington Dec 1866

Friend Walt.

I have sent to you the "Galaxy"; It contains two articles, one on Whitman and one on Swinburne,²—I have read both criticisms, with great satisfaction. Richard Grant White has but paid just sympathy to a true poet "Swinburne"; The criticism is a "Poem," in itself. It has the comprehensiveness, and the fearless recognition of the divine idea, or sentiment of "Love," as expressed by the Poet, he writes upon—Swinburne electrifies me. I read one verse of his "Laus Veneris," in a store, and bought the book—When critics or ordinary readers, or writers scribble him down, the Sun will cease to procreate and vitalize the earth. He is cultivated, and "passion" is his subject—"St Dorothy" is saddening, and the "Leper" oh how passionately full of piteous Love—and the "Orchard" oh! the night is all starrd by it, and earth burdend with dewy fragrancies—

There is enough beauty in your "Leaves" to make a rare book, and not cast out sensuous extravagance either. But you are wonderfully, woefully mistaken in the privileage you take of being merely savagely material, and consequently offensively vulgar— Han is much better than usual, and is continualy promising to write to her Mother.

C L Heyde

The text presented here is derived from Clarence Gohdes and Rollo G. Silver, eds., Faint Clews & Indirections: Manuscripts of Walt Whitman and His Family (Durham: Duke University Press, 1949). For a detailed description of discrepancies between this electronic edition and the print source, see our statement of editorial policy.

The manuscript of this letter, dated Dec 1866, is held in the Trent Collection of Whitmaniana, Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.

1.  Charles Heyde, a landscape painter, was the husband of Hannah Louisa Whitman, Whitman's younger sister. They married in 1852 and lived in Vermont.  (Back)

2.  Heyde is referring to the December 1, 1866 issue of the Galaxy, which contained a review of Drum-Taps written by John Burroughs and a review of Swinburne by Richard Grant White.  (Back)

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