Walt Whitman to William D. O'Connor, 7 May 1888

About This Item

Title: Walt Whitman to William D. O'Connor, 7 May 1888
Date: May 7, 1888
Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Whitman Archive ID: nyp.00606
Source: The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, New York Public Library. The transcription presented here is derived from Walt Whitman, The Correspondence, ed. Edwin Haviland Miller (New York: New York University Press, 1961–1977), 169. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Ryan Furlong Stefan Schöberlein Stephanie Blalock
Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Walt Whitman to William D. O'Connor, 7 May 1888." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 09 May 2025. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
Source File: nyp.00606.xml (TEI)

Camden noon1 May 7 '88

I send you some papers to while away the time—Was out yesterday driving in the country—never did the spring impress me more—it was just the right temperature—the very sun & wind and grass with sort o' human relations—(what a beautiful object is a young wheat field! what color!)—Had a good supper, oysters & champagne, at my friends the Harneds2 in the evn'g—I only eat two meals a day—

W W

Correspondent:
William Douglas O'Connor (1832–1889) was the author of the grand and grandiloquent Whitman pamphlet The Good Gray Poet: A Vindication, published in 1866. For more on Whitman's relationship with O'Connor, see Deshae E. Lott, "O'Connor, William Douglas (1832–1889)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).

Notes

1. This letter is endorsed: "Answ'd May 16/88." It is addressed: Wm D O'Connor | 1015 O Street | Washington | D C. It is postmarked: Camden, N.J. | May 7 | 4 30 PM | 88. [back]
2. Thomas Biggs Harned (1851–1921) was one of Whitman's literary executors. Harned was a lawyer in Philadelphia and, having married Augusta Anna Traubel, was Horace Traubel's brother-in-law. For more on him, see Dena Mattausch, "Harned, Thomas Biggs (1851–1921)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]