Content:
This manuscript includes a fragment of a poem, approximately seven lines,
that is possibly from an early draft of "As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free," a poem
Whitman originally wrote for the June
1872
Dartmouth College commencement exercises. This poem was
later revised and published as "Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood,"
Leaves of Grass
(1881–1882).
Content:
These leaves are pages from a top-bound notebook containing draft lines of
poetry, apparently for a poem delivered at the Dartmouth
College commencement in June 1872 and first published under the title, "As a Strong Bird on Pinions
Free," later revised and published as "Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood." Many of the
pages have been cut out or trimmed, and seven envelope faces have been
attached at the back of the notebook.
Whitman Archive Title: [Thee, in thy orbic singers]
Content:
A draft of lines that would appear, in a revised form, first in "As A Strong Bird on Pinions
Free" in 1872, and later under the title "Thou Mother With Thy Equal
Brood." The leaf consists of two clipped scraps pasted together, and the upper part of the leaf is pasted to a yellow backing sheet that bears writing and sketches in the hand of Horace Traubel. Our images show the front of the leaf, that part of the back visible by lifting the lower part of the leaf, and the reverse side of the backing sheet.
Content:
The first two entries on Leaf 1 appear to contain general notes for a poem; the
second entry reads, "Make a demand for the Ideal, (or rather idea of the Ideal of
the real)." The lines are followed by the note "in the piece," which leads up to
several trial verses eventually incorporated in the second verse paragraph of
numbered section 5 of "Thou Mother
With Thy Equal Brood." The accompanying leaf contains general notes
about creating a song or chant to celebrate America and her "best men." A cartoon
hand singles out the lines "All the states / East & west, / north & south
/ Brotherhood / an equal union" which prefigure the whole poem, but particularly
such lines as "South, North, West, East, / (To thy immortal breasts, Mother of
All, thy every daughter, / son, endear'd alike, forever equal,)" in the same
section projected on Leaf 1. The poem "Thou Mother With Thy Equal Brood" was composed with
the title "As a Strong Bird on
Pinions Free" and presented as the Dartmouth commencement poem on June
26, 1872. The poem was first published in a volume of the same name with seven
other poems also in 1872.
Content:
A draft of a poem entitled "America! thee formulating." The lines were incorporated as
lines 90 and 91 in the poem "Thy Mother with Thy Equal Brood," first
published in 1881. On the verso are lines that appears to be trial
titles: "Voices at Early
Candle-Light" and "Hurry-Notes."
Whitman Archive Title: As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free
Content:
A copy of "As a Strong Bird
on Pinions Free" with directions to the printer, as returned
to Whitman from the printing office. "As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free" was first
published in the New York
Herald
on 26 June 1872. Afterward the poem was published with
seven others in a pamphlet,
As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free
(1872). It
was later included as a supplement bound with
Two Rivulets
(1876).
Later, Whitman changed the title to "Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood," added a
new opening stanza, made additional revisions, and incorporated the poem
into
Leaves of Grass
(1881–82).
This manuscript was presented by the author to Richard J. Hinton, who in
turn presented it to J. H. Johnston.
Whitman Archive Title: Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood
Content:
This is a printed proof with heavy corrections in Whitman's hand of the poem,
"Thou Mother with Thy Equal
Brood," which was first published in the
New York Herald
(26 June 1872), under the title, "As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free." On that same date, Whitman delivered the poem at the Dartmouth College commencement. Whitman published it later that year as the title poem in a
small book,
As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free: and Other Poems
(1872). The title was later revised to "Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood" when the poem was included in
Leaves of Grass
in 1881–1882.
Whitman Archive Title: Walt Whitman's poem to-day at Dartmouth College
Content:
A draft of "Walt Whitman's Poem Today at Dartmouth College," an essay announcing the commencement poem Whitman delivered at Dartmouth June 26, 1872. This piece was published in the 26 June 1872 issue of the
Washington Evening Star
and includes excerpts from Whitman's poem, "Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood," originally published in the
New York Herald
26 June 1872 under the title "As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free." This poem was later published with seven other poems in a pamphlet,
As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free
(1872). It was also included in a supplement bound with
Two Rivulets
(1876). Whitman eventually changed the title to "Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood," added a new opening stanza, made additional revisions, and incorporated the poem into
Leaves of Grass
(1881–82).
Whitman Archive Title: [Lo, where arise three peerless stars]
Content:
This manuscript is a signed fair copy of three verses from numbered section 6 of
the 1881
Leaves of Grass
version of a poem
published under the title "Thou
Mother with Thy Equal Brood"; his note "
Leaves of Grass
/ page 350," corresponding to the
pagination of the 1881 edition, appears beneath the lines. Whitman seems to have
prepared this copy for an admirer, with his signature appearing in huge letters
above the lines "Camden New Jersey / April 19 1886—."
