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Camden New Jersey
Dec: 16 '87
Thanks for the handsome pay for the Whittier1 sonata2— Best regards to Mr
Bennett,3 Mr Chambers4 & all the boys—
Walt Whitman
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"As the Greek's Signal Flame" for Whittier's 80th
Birthday 7/87
3 pcs.
1250—
latxx
Notes
- 1. John Greenleaf Whittier
(1807–1892) earned fame as a staunch advocate for the abolition of
slavery. As a poet, he employed traditional forms and meters, and, not
surprisingly, he was not an admirer of Whitman's unconventional prosody. For
Whitman's view of Whittier, see the poet's numerous comments throughout the nine
volumes of Horace Traubel's With Walt Whitman in Camden
(various publishers: 1906–1996) and Whitman's "My Tribute to Four Poets,"
in Specimen Days (Philadelphia: Rees Welsh & Co.,
1882–'83), 180–181. [back]
- 2. On December 11, 1887,
Julius Chambers of the New York Herald asked Walt Whitman
to write a poem to commemorate John Greenleaf Whittier's eightieth birthday. The
poet replied on December 12, and on December 14
(Whitman's Commonplace Book; Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of
Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.) sent "As
the Greek's Signal Flame [For Whittier's eightieth birthday, December 17,
1887]," which was printed in the Herald on the following
day. Although Whitman asked twenty dollars, he was paid twenty-five (Whitman's
Commomplace Book). [back]
- 3. James Gordon Bennett Jr.
(1841–1918) was the editor and publisher of the New York
Herald, founded by his father in 1835. Julius Chambers
(1850–1920) was an American author, investigative journalist, and travel
writer; after working as a reporter for the New York
Tribune, he became an editor of the New York
Herald and, later, managing editor of the New York
World. For more on the Herald and the many poems
by Whitman that were published in it, see Susan Belasco, "The New York Herald." [back]
- 4. Julius Chambers (1850–1920)
was an American author, investigative journalist, and travel writer. After
working as a reporter for the New York Tribune, he became
the editor of the New York Herald and, later, the New York World. [back]