Content:
These manuscript lines were probably written in the 1850s. They bear a strong resemblance to ideas expressed in the opening lines of poem #14 of "Chants Democratic and Native American," which first appeared in the 1860
Leaves of Grass
. The lines eventually became part of the independent poem "Poets to Come." A series of draft lines are written on the back of this manuscript leaf (uva.00272).
Content:
Based on the material written on the back of this leaf, this manuscript was probably written in the 1850s. The lines do not appear to have contributed directly to any of Whitman's published poetry. Draft lines on the back of this manuscript leaf (uva.00271) probably relate to the poem eventually titled "Poets to Come."
Content:
Whitman numbered the inscribed sides of the folded leaf, in pencil, in the upper
right corners. Side 1 corresponds to verses 1-9 of section 14 of "Chants Democratic" in the 1860
Leaves of Grass
; side 2 ("I
expect that Kanadians,") became verses 10-16 of that version. In 1867 it was
shortened to make up section 4 of the final "Leaves of Grass" cluster. In 1872 it was permanently
retitled "Poets to Come" and
transferred to the cluster "The
Answerer," where it stayed until being moved to the "Inscriptions" cluster in
1881.
