Search Results

In the year 1885 I lived with my father in a small house in Eagle Street, Bolton.

My father was a millwright in the employ of a large engineering firm in the town, and I—then thirty-one

My mother had died in January of that year, and certain experiences of mine in connection with that event

Soon after her death a few of my intimate friends, who often came singly to see me, began to make a special

the last five or six lines as from my living pulse."

Bucke to my left.

My friends do not realize my condition. They persist in imagining that I am like them."

: "Have you noticed my chair?

"My supper is my main meal now.

Speaking of my trip he said that he had felt uneasy in consequence of my late arrival.

"Yes," he said, "my right arm is my best, but I have a good deal of power in my left."

knee with my bag of crackers.

is the result of my sitting.

And now I'll write my name on it, and I want you to take it to Wallace with my love."

Davis to my wife.

"But my 'Good-Bye' is probably my last bit of writing.

"Some of my friends feel—Dr.

My poems do not discuss special themes and are short. And, anyhow, that is my method.

He enquired what my programme was for the rest of my jaunt.

W. read it, and then said to me: "My best friends are women. They are my best friends.

A Visit to Walt Whitman A visit to Walt Whitman On a hot August afternoon, in 1889, my wife and I went

And Walt replied: "Well my friends who have known me longest have told me, many times, that I always

And then he added, after reflecting a moment: "I think my poems are like your West—crude, uncultured,

Walt sat in his arm-chair, and held wife with his right hand and me with his left, and said: "So long, my

Do you not see, O my brothers and sisters?

During my attendance upon Mr.

'I have had my hour'; I have had my hour ; only let me rest in peace until its close."

In these days and nights it is different; my mutton-broth, my little brandy, to be 'turned' promptly

My only difficulty with Mrs. Davis and Warren was in getting them to let me do my full share.

table, a knock at the door of our room—which served both as dining and sitting room—was answered by my

O'Connor offered to go out on the search with him; but before they started my husband asked me, aside

Walt had left his "carpet bag" with my husband, on his way down, wishing to be burdened with as little

When I expressed my doubts about his coming to us on his return from camp,— my husband's answer was,

My own first impression after reading the quarto edition of Leaves of Grass, recommended by Emerson to

He asked me somewhat about my life and doings at home.

My memories of Walt Whitman include many talks, in which I did my best to obtain light upon these and

I receive now again of my many translations,from my avataras ascending, while others doubtless await

(p.66.) " Camerado, I giveyou my hand, I give you my love more precious than money."

For my enemy is dead,a man divineas myself isdead.

Visits from English friends are perhaps my chief diversion."

Philadelphia, 1883. is going off slowly—not much cared for by my friends—but I like it.

He asked me somewhat about my life and doings at home.

There is something in my nature furtive like an old hen!

Time alone can absolutely test my poems or any one's.

There was no hurry in his manner; having found me a seat, and then only leaving hold of my hand, he sad

had thought before (and I do not know that I had) that Whitman was eccentric, unbalanced, violent, my

Putting on his grey slouch hat he sallied forth with evident pleasure, and taking my arm as a support

My original idea was that if I could bring men together by putting before them the heart of man, with

As to my own opinion, why", said Holmes, "I have already given you that.

" thatwould Who is he become my follower?

What I and be asregardless experi ence or shall go from my composition with portray out a shred of my

I heard low one my you,too, murmuring through ofthe wristsaround my head, Heard the pulseof you,when

"He you who spreads a wider breast than own the my proves width of my own.

"BefIrwas born out of my mother, generations guided me, My embryo has never been torpid nothing

I am trying to cheer him up and strengthen him with my magnetism."

Come to my house on Sunday evening, and I will have him there to meet you."

It would give me great pleasure to grant this request, out of my regard to Mr.

it, as he showed when I went to give him an account of my interview with the Secretary.

" 'I cock my hat as I please, indoors and out,' " I quoted.

one day in Boston that Joaquin Miller, whose acquaintance I had gained through a poetical trifle of my

Whitman— I have tried all my life to write for the masses.

A few days later I called upon Whitman, my pockets stuffed with verses.

At its conclusion he smiled forgivingly and asked me to tell him about my grandfather on my mother's

Such a boy, to my mind, is positively nauseating.

My recollections of Walt Whitman date back to three or four years prior to the civil war.

Our chambers were the meeting places for several small circles of my young men friends.

My Captain!

But I, with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead."

my captain!" above quoted. But the little KEEPSAKE is prized not the less on that account.

For my part when I meet anyone of erudition I want to get away, it terrifies me.

Not like some of my friends, very thick at first, then falling off."

I should have my friends there, as I have here."

I am feeling pretty well so far (Yet I attribute my feeling pretty well now to my visit for the last

year and a half, to the Creek and farm, and being with my dear friends the S—'s).

The deeplyfeltemotionwith which "My Captain" is readinvariablybringstears ttheeyes ofhearers.] 14 MEMORIES

, My Captain," a of "Bravo, " (encouraged by gentle-kindly ejaculation bravo !

he " I do then with friends as I do your says, my with my books.

My lifend my wealth,yea, allthatismine, be ransom againstTime's wrong forthose who showed true my forecast

Not that tinkling rhymes Captain my Captain this, too, isnot beautiful and pathetic ; but it jars slightly

During my em- MR.

My Captain.

MY DEAR MR.

So go in, my lad.

MY DEAR MR.

"Publish my name and hang up my picture as that of the tenderest lover." — Leaves of Grass .

To my reminiscences of the poet in his later years, and my description of his homes and haunts, let me

The deeply felt emotion with which "My Captain" is read invariably brings tears to the eyes of hearers

My health is reasonably good."

, My Captain," (encouraged by a gentle-kindly ejaculation of "Bravo, bravo!"

awaiting the action of the Executive upon his sentence,"— and your letter of May 4, 1869, again calling my

the important and difficult questions which may arise upon the case, I think it sufficient to express my

I tell you it's an impossibility to me; why, my whole income from my books during a recent half-year

its eight periods of growth, "hitches," he calls them, he completes them with the annex, "Good-bye my

Whispers of Heavenly Death" cannot be an irreverent person; the impassioned "prayer"— "That Thou, O God, my

For that, O God, be it my latest word, here on my knees, Old, poor, and paralyzed, I thank Thee....

When this is commented upon he laughingly says, "Oh, yes, my friends often tell me there is a book called

Conversations with Walt Whitman: My First Visit MY FIRST VISIT.

S ADAKICHI : "My father is a German, but my mother was a Japanese and I was born in Japan."

ONE of my first visits, after I had returned to Philadelphia from my first European trip, was to the

In my books, in my prose as well as my poetry are many knots to untie."

my captain' with which he generally concluded.

benefactor, and have felt much like and New striking my tasks, visiting York to pay you my respects.

charity has no death— my wisdom diesnot,neither earlynor late, And my sweet love bequeathed here and

For my own part, I may confess that itshone upon me when lifewas when I was my broken, weak, sickly,

should be of my body.

my poems.

These were my first years with Emerson, and the questions provoked by my confession of this fact would

He lifted my common experience into biblical sanctity, and impelled my whole life to expanding issues

He thoroughly respected my autonomy, never once crossing my transactions with printer or binder.

Can I have won my battle after all?...

If I go there with a magazine under my arm, or a paper in my pocket, he is quite likely to ask me to

It is my own spirit, my own feeling—to accept and try and listen, and don't be too quick to reject, and

my fig tree.

I ask myself more than a little if my best friends have not been women. My friend Mrs.

My attempt at "Leaves of Grass"—my attempt at my own expression—is after all this: to thoroughly equip

Eyre .— I want to call attention to "My Captain," a poem which has in it the element of the dramatic

GOOD-BYE MY FANCY.

My health is somewhat better, and my spirit at peace.

Indeed all my ferry friends—captain Frazee the superintendent, Lindell, Hiskey, Fred Rauch, Price, Watson

my ear.

Gilchrist—friends of my soul—stanchest friends of my other soul, my poems. ONLY A NEW FERRY BOAT.

first met Whitman, beginning a friendship that will always form one of the pleasantest memories of my

The task in question, however, would naturally have fallen to my colleague and intimate friend, Frederic

before, I believe—he dropped in upon Guernsey at the Herald and introduced himself with the words: "My

Making known my errand, he greeted me cordially.

"In the moral, emotional, heroic, and human growths (the main of a race in my opinion), something of

The table was set for four, and I, the youngest of the party and the sole representative of my sex, had

for my vis-à-vis the ample figure of the poet clad in light gray linen, his wide rolling shirt collar

I mentioned a name that had more than once come to my mind, as we talked,—Victor Hugo.

My companion assented. I added with enthusiasm, "It has been a perfectly happy day to me, Mr.

My last glimpse of him was in his house at Camden, when he was recovering from a long illness.

My first meeting with Walt Whitman occurred when I was a boy and had occasion to ask for a certain residence

I did not know who or what he was, but on his answering my question I was so struck with the quality

My first visit to him occurred some years later, in the little house on Mickle Street which has been

matter of punctuation, and it was a source of annoyance to find the title of his latest book, "Good Bye My

The moment Garfield came over to our side of the car, I gave him my seat and I took his.

England Mar 26 th 1892 My Dear good old Friend Just a line to you by tonights mail to send you my love

once more—always that, always that—& the best I possess, along with my warmest sympathy.

Though I do not write much—for I fear to trouble you—my Love knows no lessening.

I have got my dear good old father staying here with me & am very happy to have him too.

Whitman: "Because you have, as it were, given me a ground for the love of men I thank you continually in my

Mch 24. 92 My dear friend, I was pained to hear that you are sufffering more and more, but was glad to

, free and winged words—words that have thrilled and ennobled the hearts and lives of millions—that my

Mar 23 rd 1892 My Dear Old Friend And how fares it with you tonight?

I look out across the western sky, now studded with twinkling stars & wonder how you are, my dear good

friend of friends My heart's best & truest affection flows out to you & my sympathy can hardly find

I have my dear good old father with me tonight, & with him here & to write to I am happy!

sixty-five poems that had originally appeared in November Boughs (1888); while the second, "Good-Bye my

YORK, March 21 st 189 2 Mr Walt Whitman Dear Sir: Can you let me have "November Boughs" and "Good Bye My

Whitman's book Good-Bye My Fancy (1891) was his last miscellany, and it included both poetry and short

Thirty-one poems from the book were later printed as "Good-Bye my Fancy" in Leaves of Grass (1891–1892

For more information see, Donald Barlow Stauffer, "'Good-Bye my Fancy' (Second Annex) (1891)," Walt Whitman

My dear Friend:— I dare to call you my friend because I have read your poetry.

Because there was no reason for my letter unless I told you what was in my heart to tell, and people

I used to think I would be a poet and think if my life had been less crowded out of shape, I might have

Society," and last month was admitted to the bar, and at thirty years of age, I am just starting in my

My brother and I often recite your verses and love their beauty and patriotism.

England Mar 16. 92 My Dear Walt, How fares it with you, tonight? Better I hope.

My heart is with you and I send you its best and warmest love.

My heart ached for it.

God bless you dearest & best of Earthly friends My love to you now & always Yours affectionately J.

Burlington Vt 1892 Tuesday Morning March 15 Only write a line my dear darling brother thinking maybe

so good to me.— What does me good or what is a comfort to me is nothing, you, are the one I care for my

not tire you if I could only do a bit of good— want Want to send much much love, & I do feel for you my

Lancashire, England. 15 March 1892 Dear Walt, Just a line or two my dearest friend, my comrade & father

, dearest of all to my soul, to express the triumph & joy & cheer with which I think of you & with which

Outwardly sad enough, but deep within my soul I know that all is well, & that our last words should be

Be it as if I were with you, & here upon the paper I send you one as a token of my dearest love X Wallace

My heart's best & warmest love to you, my dearest & best of Friends!

for you at the "Bolton Literary Society"— composed mainly of the so-called "upper ten" of Bolton—& my

and his brother Harry were the sons of Henry Whireman Fritzinger (about 1828–1881), a former sea captain

Davis, Whitman's housekeeper, who had also taken care of the sea captain and who inherited part of his

From my window (4 pm.)

Mar 9 th 92 7 Taylor Ln— Bolton My Dear Walt Whitman Just a few lines in response to your loving message

How very kind of you to send such tokens of your love to me, tokens which go deep into my. my heart,

My little message will convey my gratitude, my deepest sympathy, and my very best love to you now— and

I hear that you are sick & write a line to send you my love & all manner of kind wishes.

My friend Standish O'Grady asks me to address a letter to you.

Take, with his, my words of sympathy in your late heavy trial, & of unalterable homage & love.

Ma Just a line to say that Fred Wild has written a brief message to you by this mail from my house, &

to send you my best love along with his.

Mar 2/92 Just another line to you my dear old friend to send you my best love & my warmest sympathy God

My sign reads, ["]C. L.

England Feb 27, 92 My Dear Walt Just a line by tonights mail to send you my deep & heartfelt love & my

been busy sending off copies of the facsimile to over 70 different friends you have hardly been out of my

In his March 9, 1892, letter to Traubel, Greenhalgh wrote that "Walt has taught me 'the glory of my daily

In all the departments of my life Walt entered with his loving personality & I am never alone" (Horace

and his brother Harry were the sons of Henry Whireman Fritzinger (about 1828–1881), a former sea captain

Davis, Whitman's housekeeper, who had also taken care of the sea captain and who inherited part of his

do not read it it will serve as a token of love & best wishes which are the same always & come from my

Whitman: "Because you have, as it were, given me a ground for the love of men I thank you continually in my

England 25 Feb 1892 My dear Friend I send you just a few lines to thank you for your very great kindness

You say "Whoso touches my book, touches me," and with reverence I claim to take you by the hand, and

call you brother, yea, though you are also my Master.

I am My dear Brother Gratefully & lovingly yours Sam Thompson Samuel Thompson to Walt Whitman, 25 February

My dear Walt Whitman, As one of the College Boys who feels honored by the hospitable reception given

kind messages of love which you have so frequently sent to us, I wish to send you a word to convey my

I (& the others I am sure) feel very grateful for the act. & I return my best thanks. Dr.

The engraved portrait with your autograph on my mantel reminds me that that is another favor.

Traubel & Warry I send my most cordial regards. WD.

and his brother Harry were the sons of Henry Whireman Fritzinger (about 1828–1881), a former sea captain

Davis, Whitman's housekeeper, who had also taken care of the sea captain and who inherited part of his

as one who values your writings more than I can ever attempt to express, please allow me to express my

Your teachings rest always in my mind like gleams of sunlight upon the pathway of the future, & I may

write a leading article without trying, as much as lies within me, to hold your "Democratic Vistas" in my