Simply enter the word you wish to find and the search engine will search for every instance of the word in the journals. For example: Fight. All instances of the use of the word fight will show up on the results page.
Using an asterisk (*) will increase the odds of finding the results you are seeking. For example: Fight*. The search results will display every instance of fight, fights, fighting, etc. More than one wildcard may be used. For example: *ricar*. This search will return most references to the Aricara tribe, including Ricara, Ricares, Aricaris, Ricaries, Ricaree, Ricareis, and Ricarra. Using a question mark (?) instead of an asterisk (*) will allow you to search for a single character. For example, r?n will find all instances of ran and run, but will not find rain or ruin.
Searches are not case sensitive. For example: george will come up with the same results as George.
Searching for a specific phrase may help narrow down the results. Rather long phrases are no problem. For example: "This white pudding we all esteem".
Because of the creative spellings used by the journalists, it may be necessary to try your search multiple times. For example: P?ro*. This search brings up numerous variant spellings of the French word pirogue, "a large dugout canoe or open boat." Searching for P?*r*og?* will bring up other variant spellings. Searching for canoe or boat also may be helpful.
| Entering in only one field | Searches |
|---|---|
| Year, Month, & Day | Single day |
| Year & Month | Whole month |
| Year | Whole year |
| Month & Day | 1600-#-# to 2100-#-# |
| Month | 1600-#-1 to 2100-#-31 |
| Day | 1600-01-# to 2100-12-# |
Ferry, I dashed off the enclosed Sonnet, which I take the liberty of send to you, the rather to gratify my
I went first of all from Brooklyn to Washington to nurse some of my friends.
Well, I went just like that: I went 'on my own hook.'
"From Long Island I went with my parents and settled at Brooklyn.
For my part, I said, I thought Mr.
Gladstone's policy; and my wish, my desire, my animus, would certainly be on the side of the just, wise
Eve (I free from the gnarring of the finite at my heels).
I wont weary you by saying more than to express my heartfelt sympathy & thankfulness & good wishes .
My dear father-confessor, I feel a strong desire to be clasped closer to yr your breast, to know my friend
—Well, there, my eye lights on my memorandum of it.
I have not time to copy out my translation. affec. as always W.S.
I offer my congratulations in advance.
that item about my reading proofs) before I give him the MS.
By coming on I could bring my MS with me, & stay three days at least.
I have already made out a long one—going over all my scraps & records for the purpose Our brilliant young
Will send you my Herald article on him when it appears.
might insure the publication of the book; for purchasers of L. of G. are of all most likely to buy my
This will excuse my dilatoriness as a correspondent) Rhys & I go up to lunch with Sanborn Friday—Rhys
Nothing delights me more & my limitations are so many.
As I sit here looking up Brattle Square Cambridge from my proof-room window, the gay elastic children
That wonderful title page I look at & look at, & can't seem to get dovetailed into my mind.
My day had a sad ending.
Please give my very special congratulations to Traubel anent this big volume (for I suppose he helped
And give my regards to your Canadian nurse-friend.
Belmont Mass Oct 20 '88 My dear W.W.
Mrs K. is in Boston at a Symphony Concert and a precious ½ hour for my soul being at my disposal I feel
We are rolling out 90–100 books at once, & every page must pass under my eye twice & receive my fecit
before it goes out,—my guarantee.
I must stop & copy a page or so (my daily stint) of my Whitman bibliography (sawdusty job rather, but
poems & prose pieces bit by bit, stealhily stealthily to-day, having the book (disguised by cover) in my
I send you the Transcript with my notice of November Boughs —hastily pencil-scrawled bet between jobs
on my proof desk.
I asked Traubel to tell you that Wilson (Glaswegian) had written me my book. cordially yrs yours W.S.Kennedy
They have made my summer glorious. My love of that man is something strong as fate.
Indeed I believe the ties of blood draw me to him & Scotland—my "forbears" being Scotch-Irish (on one
(my book). Glad to hear of yr your new books. Am still reading proof.
WS Kennedy I don't see much prospect of my work on you seeing the light soon, But—.
Belmont My Dear Walter (as poor Emerson wd would say) I some weeks ago devised a cunning scheme for getting
I took up the idea & having my time at my disposal, I am going to work you up a lecture.
Do you think you will be able to come by that time, my dear friend?
I have never heard you either read or lecture & shall be a thousand times repaid for my trouble. aff—
"Last of Ebb" is my favorite. William Sloane Kennedy to Walt Whitman, 28 August 1888
Wilson of Glasgow, encouraging me to go on & get subscribers for my "Walt Whitman,"— saying that I may
you be willing (I hardly dare to ask it) to send me for two yr book of addresses (sent by Express at my
(I keep up my bibliogr. record always (in the "Whitman")] I made a trip to the art museum recently to
Baxter has gone to Arizona, & left bust in my care.
Kennedy My idea is to charge $5. or a guinea for the vol. & print it in good style.
March 7: '88 I was really astonished to hear my quondam college mate—young Henry Norman —was the one
I was in the first flush of my enthusiasm for you; had just read you for the first time, & after a while
matter increases my esteem.
Charity, charity, man, I keep saying (& think of my own grievous sins).
I send you a Transcript marked, and also send you my love in unlimited quantities.
My answer to it has crossed the letter enclosing yours.
For myself, after some five years work on a book concerning my own especial art, I am now waiting the
arrangements and returned and told him all about it which pleased him very much, he put his arms around my
another room and when it got close to the wall an oven door opened and in went the rod and pan with my
friend vanishing away like a snow flake before my eyes. that thought then as well as now crowded into
These are part of what thoughts were crowding in my brain as I stood watching for one hour till my friend
Cooper vanished away before my eyes. so I felt I must tell you that there is a new Crematory built in
My friend Carpenter —one of your best friends—has sent me a copy of his "Songs of Labour"; containing
I cannot express my feelings in this Commercial language, when writing to people I love, and do not try
Whitman, late in life, said to Horace Traubel: "[I] take my Ruskin with some qualifications."
Whitman: "Because you have, as it were, given me a ground for the love of men I thank you continually in my
June 18 188 8 My dear Mr.
Whitman:— I read with sorrow of your severe illness and beg to offer my sympathy.
My dear Walt: I see in the papers, with agitation and alarm, the reports about your illness, which, however
But I should be in the way, considering my condition.
My eye is now under battery treatment (assault-and-battery treatment, you would think to look at it!)
and just as soon as I can recover my sight a little better, I will plunge into the volume, which now
August 31, 1888 My dear Walt: I got your letter of the 6th, a postal card of the 11th, divers newspapers
I have had it on my mind for a month to write, but have had a bad time.
My hope and heart are high for you. If the weather will only let up! Good bye.
being quite crushed with the dead heat we have been having, and sick with obstinate bowel trouble and my
My belief in your getting better is invincible, for your stamina is indomitable.
I had been feeling depressed and sorrowful—perhaps my own bad state had something to do with it; but
anyhow, the brave hand-writing was like Chevy Chace to Sidney, "stirring my heart as with the sound of
He is certainly the winter of my discontent mentioned by Lord Bacon in his play of Richard III.
years Whitman increasingly considered him an antagonist; late in his life, Whitman commented: "Some of my
Sometime when you are sending you can return me the article for my collection.
I keep up my spirits as well as I can, but find it all pretty depressing.
My eye got open at last, but is still bleary and bad.
My present woe is a festered pen finger, sore as death, and preventing me writing.
It is one of my afflictions, though without pain.—I will try to write soon.
especially such as this one: I was sitting at breakfast yesterday morning, when the lines came into my
longing to send you a word, but you can't imagine how hard it is for me to rouse myself to write, in my
my wretched lameness prevents me from exerting myself as I want to.
Despite my illness and inanition, I am all agog for the result.
"O for the light of another sun, With my Bazra sword in my hand!"
Heyden's "The Last Words of Al-Hassan" contains the lines "O Allah, for the light of another sun, / With my
Didn't my lower stomach shout to my upper stomach with loud halloos!
But that my illness makes me unfit for composition, I would like to review Donnelly's reviewers so far
My talk with him must have sunk in. Goodbye. Nelly sends you her love. So do I.
EDITORIAL•DEPARTMENT THE CENTURY•MAGAZINE UNION•SQUARE•NEW•YORK 25 July 1888 My dear Mr Whitman: I hope
Were I near you I should like to have the honor of paying my personal respects to you.
If you would write your name upon my 1855 edition, which I intend to present to a public library, I should
New York Sunday 11/3/88 My dear Mr.
Whitman: You will remember my calling a few weeks back when I remember that I do so as a friend of Earl
I am as you know Wellesley Sayle an Englishman & am proud to be one of many thousands of my fellow countrymen
I shall most likely call at Phila on my way where I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you again.
Reprinted as "Interpolation Sounds" in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891).
When reprinted in "Good-Bye My Fancy," the poem included the note, "General Sheridan was buried at the
My Canary Bird
mentions in a letter to Richard Maurice Bucke on February 16, 1888: "it is chilly here as I finish this—my
Queries to My Seventieth Year
After the dazzle of Day After the dazzle of day is gone, Only the dark dark night shows to my eyes the
stars; After the clangor of organ majestic, or chorus, or perfect band, Silent, athwart my soul, moves
Far back, related on my mother's side, Old Salt Kossabone, I'll tell you how he died; (Had been a sailor
—these his the last words—when Jenny came, he sat there dead; Dutch Kossabone, Old Salt, related on my
decidedly better—I want to send a package to Mr Pearsall Smith's by European Express with several big Vols. my
Camden NJ—US America Sept: 13 '88 Still kept in my sick room & the summer season is ab't over.
My little 140 page November Boughs & the big 900 page Vol. Complete are nearly done.
'88 Thanks dear Kitty, dear friend, dear girl, for the beautiful photo—it is indeed beautiful—give my
On December 17, 1888, Katherine (Kitty) wrote to "My dear Uncle Walt": "We have once more made a nest
spell—ten days, two of them quite serious—but am somewhat better—am sitting up anyhow writing this, but my
brain is flabby—my grip weak—The doctor speaks of a pronounc'd gastric trouble, from long indigestion—No
Solitude" —have no doubt it is a total invention (not to use the word fraud wh' is perfectly proper)—my
are a good many such—it might be worth while to stamp them peremptorily in future—I have included all my
a good strong willing nurse , & good doctoring watch—I send my love & memories to Mrs: F., to Baxter,
My eye got open at last, but is still bleary and bad."
I often wish that I could write you a long letter, & tell you all about us, but as I wrote you, my head
& eyes gave out , & I can write but very little, even to my two sisters,— & we are all that are left
Sunday Evng Sept: 2 '88 Your good letter just rec'd & here I am sending word back—still imprisoned in my
sick room—non-rehabilitated yet but middling well for all that—my booklet November Boughs ab't finish'd
—& a large vol. comprising all my stuff begun —I am here just at sunset—Love to you all old & young—I
Camden NJ America Thursday Evn'g Oct 4 '88— Still keeping my sick room but fair spirits & no worse—great
particulars—H Gilchrist seems to be thriving & happy—I hear often from Dr Bucke —I will send you forthwith my
Still in my sick room—less well to-day, but have had a fair fortnight. Clear & cold weather.
hottest day of the season—but I have got thro' fairly with it—& have just finish'd & quite enjoy'd my
Not yet left my room for down stairs— Walt Whitman Walt Whitman to Mary Whitall Smith Costelloe, 4 August
am just off on a ride & spree to Gloucester-shore to a planked shad & champagne dinner given me by my