Grip continued bad as ever. Continued heavy headache—ate my breakfast—am sitting up most of the time—rest very poorly—still calculate on this grip trouble passing over, but not in time for my 15th lecture in Phila:2—I have now sent you word by letter or card every day the last week, wretched week for me—Tom Donaldson3 here last evn'g—
¼ to 5—Headache easier—have just eat a fair supper—weather fine—
Walt Whitman loc_zs.00001.jpgCorrespondent:
Richard Maurice Bucke (1837–1902) was a
Canadian physician and psychiatrist who grew close to Whitman after reading Leaves of Grass in 1867 (and later memorizing it) and
meeting the poet in Camden a decade later. Even before meeting Whitman, Bucke
claimed in 1872 that a reading of Leaves of Grass led him
to experience "cosmic consciousness" and an overwhelming sense of epiphany.
Bucke became the poet's first biographer with Walt
Whitman (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1883), and he later served as one
of his medical advisors and literary executors. For more on the relationship of
Bucke and Whitman, see Howard Nelson, "Bucke, Richard Maurice," Walt Whitman: An
Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York:
Garland Publishing, 1998).