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10 th 89 O Good Gray Poet, When I read the notes on your life made by Ernest Rhys the tears came to my

feeling of the boundlessness of the universe, of the greatness of a man—perhaps, only perhaps, it may be my

glory to help others to "justify" your work; it surely is my heart's desire.

My excuse for writing you is the sending of a book; a first utterance, called "Voices & Undertones"—it

It took me several days to absorb it and make my extracts &c.

(I fear my digestion must be poor to-night judging from the tone of the foregoing!)

I keep toiling away kicking my MS into shape, adding touches &c &c W S Kennedy William Sloane Kennedy

You dear (young) old F'ellow: — I was just feeling to-day a lack in my soul—a gap—an idea that you had

I continue at my typographical business Hope I hear from Paisley in a fortnight goodnight & love—gloomy

Robert Browning (1812–1889), known for his dramatic monologues, including "Porphyria's Lover" and "My

30, 1868, Whitman informed Ralph Waldo Emerson that "Proud Music of the Storm" was "put in type for my

Just as my MS pkg was consigned to steamer Roman of the Warren Line, comes crawling along—like a fly

Commemoration Ode," which has often, since its publication, been contrasted with Whitman's own tribute, "O Captain

My Captain!"

Belmont Sept 15 '89 (Sunday afternoon) Dear Walt:— I never meant my last poor postal to be the answer

to write the bk I told you of, I must bore you with a letter—just to say how'd'e, & to tell you that my

staunch little dame, my brave frau kin is going to make a little visiting tour, & will some day make

for my freedom! [Here I cut a caper] Now for six weeks of thought . I wrote to F.

My gloire di Dijon rose has grown 12 feet high in many rigorous shoots.

—However, with all my deep chagrin, I c but laugh (long & well), over little Stedman & Holmes (I suppose

You say in it "as to my alleged opinion of Stedman: I have no such opinion.

My feeling toward S. is one of good will & thanks markedly—O'C says he is a good fellow, & I say so too

Stedman w never forgive my trying to comfort him . Ha! ha!

I think I shall now pitch overboard fr my book the Hartmannian lading (supplement) entirely.

I have abt 10 minutes a day to my self!

Wilson has my MS now. Am going to take a vacation in a month.

Do drop me a line dear & revered papa, & relieve my anxiety abt you. W. S. Kennedy.

In his letter to me I alluded to in my letter of this date to you, O'C says, "I sincerely hope no memoir

I mean give him my regards. & to Dr. B. whose last I shall answer soon W. S. K.

Wilson will tackle in some way my Whitman .

It is firstrate I did make that condition in my letters to Gardner —i.e. that my corrections on proofs

I have offered & agreed to return her $5.00—one of Wm's subscriptions, thinking one of my books w d be

My yard is looking finely. 2 doz. hyacinths out. bye bye W. S. K.

Gardner of Paisley, accepting my MS. "Walt Whitman the Poet of Humanity."

suppose his idea is that people will buy L. of G. more if they are not given the passages in question in my

He bites hard—says "it wd be a vast pity if the book were to fall through," owing to my obstinacy I suppose

My window hyacinths in fragrant bloom. (honey bunches) W. S. K.

Belmont Oct 27 '89 To Walt Whitman I am immensely pleased (tickled) with the result of my little Wifekin

I rubbed my hands in glee after quoting some of the good great fellows (in England & America) who stand

She says, "I saw with my own eyes, his nobility & manners," &c.

It is worth all of my book put together.

I also send you per express paid a couple of jars of my nice currant jam put up by myself fr fruit raised

Grant, the General's father, addressed to my great uncle Granger, (Judge William G. of Ohio very wealthy

Jesse came very near marrying my uncle's sister he says. I may publish the letter. So keep mum .

volumes of Horace Traubel's With Walt Whitman in Camden (various publishers: 1906–1996) and Whitman's "My

Whitman has written at the bottom of the page in blue pencil: "I rec'd the currants—wh' I eat with my

I always forget to say that while several times in my MS I seem to have ignored yr notes, in reality

Belmont Mass Oct 3. 89 Dear Old Quaker Friend of the horse-taming sea kings of Long Island: My thorn

He drew those pictures of yr home for my book; but takes the blackguard view of you.

My dame laid him out flat after calling on you. She can do such things, is keen as steel.

White's pitiful parody of L of G. in my face & thot he had floord me, he said he ahd heard that Edwin

I have to do it for my writings now.

I go now & get a wrap up: I have not given up, & never shall the pub. of my apotheosis of W.W.

It just meets my ideal. A book is doubled in value by pocket-form. My cousin has gone.

Dont get down-hearted, my boy, say I! We read yr strong verse in November Century.

Whitman's poem "My 71st Year" was published in the November 1889 issue of Century Illustrated Monthly

Give my love to Dr. B.

My Dear W Whitman, Yr letter & papers both rec'd with thanks.

My article is scientific , I even reverently analyze Shakespeare's technique & prove that he inclined

I had been reserving this piece of work until I moved into my new house.

I sent my article on poetry to the Century. They ordered an article on E.E. Hale, wh.

My dear Sir.

think of you, and I am sure that it affords me much more than that to give this personal expression to my

say entirely my own way, and put it unerringly on record."

In another place the feeling of pride leads to this exclamation: "My Book and I—what a period we have

These snowy hairs, my feeble arm, my frozen feet, For them thy faith, thy role I take, and grave it to

Whitman referred to Rossetti's edition as a "horrible dismemberment of my book" in his August 12, 1871

let me have ten or Fifteen Dollars have been having pretty hard luck of late and find myself Broke My

My dear Mr.

Whitman:— I have thought of you often since my call upon you the other day (and before, too, for that

matter), and felt, that although I have a copy of your works in my library, I would like one from you

. * "No one will get at my verses who insists upon viewing them as a literary performance, or as aiming

Leaves of Grass has been chiefly the outcropping of my own emotional and other personal nature—an attempt

day, there can be no such thing as a long poem, fascinated him: "The same thought had been haunting my

flashes of lightning, with the emotional depths it sounded and arous'd (of course, I don't mean in my

"I round and finish little, if anything; and could not, consistently with my scheme.

1524 Walnut Street Philadelphia My Dear good gray Poet— Ever since I bought the first edition of Leaves

But you must know that I am an artist, and am able, out of my craftman's knowledge, to separate Art as

I am a native Texan, but my father belonged to the Georgia branch of the Whitman family.

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN! O Captain! my Captain!

O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain!

my Captain!

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse

But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, O how shall I warble myself for the dead one

—have been out in my wheel chair for a 40 minute open air jaunt (propell'd by WF. my sailor boy nurse

) —& now 4pm Nov. 14 '89 waiting for my supper to be bro't— Transcribed from digital images of the original

Reprinted under the new title "To the Pending Year" in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891).; Our transcription is

My 71st Year

Reprinted in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891).; Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm

Reprinted in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891).; Our transcription is based on a digital image of an original

Nor for myself—my own rebellious self in thee?

Have lost my recognition of your silent ever-swaying power, ye mighty, elemental throes, In which and

good-will & good luck to you, dear friends both—Nothing very new or different with me—I have just finished my

& blessings — I am writing for pub'n a little still—have had a bad spell last week & before—one of my

has come safely —thanks—I am here yet getting along fairly—seven weeks hot weather here—but I hug to my

old den thro' all as the best I can do in my immobile condition—no sales of books —love to all inquiring

Whitman made a similar observation in The Commonplace-Book on July 19, 1889: "No sale worth mentioning of my

was welcome (I have sent it to Dr Bucke, as he likes such) —Nothing very significant—am still here in my

Had my breakfast & relish'd it—three or four hot stew'd oysters, a stout slice of toasted Graham bread

, & a mug of coffee— My housekeeper Mrs: Davis is compell'd to be temporarily absent these two days &

Ed my nurse gets my breakfast & gets it very well.

often bless the Lord & congratulate myself that things are as well with me as they are—that I retain my

mentality intact—that I have put my literary stuff in final form—that I have a few (but sufficient)

Camden Saturday Evn'g Sept. 14 '89 Nothing particular or new in my affairs or condition—feel bad enough

require it—I never undressed coldest nights last winter—tired oft as an old vetrans , I dropped in my

narative. narrative Got a heater last winter, gave a picture for it—pipe passed into chimney through my

room mad made it comfortable— My sister on Staten Island has been dangerously ill for some weeks—now

several children and grand children—sincere— guiless— guileless beloved——I have not seen either of my

up & imprison'd in sick room—y'rs of a week ago rec'd & welcom'd —I want to send over some copies of my

— Finest sort of weather, sun, skies &c here days & nights—I was out last evn'g to supper and stopt my

I am on the Free Trade side, in spite of my American upbringing.

Camden NJ US America April 19 '89 Am still anchor'd here in my second story in Mickle street—not much

for there is nothing to write ab't—only the fact of writing to you if that is anything—Here I am in my

den as for a year & a half, but not so much different or given out yet—My sleeping & appetite yet hold

fair—you know I am along now in my 71st— Love to you all— Walt Whitman Walt Whitman to Mary Whitall

If convenient please give the bearer, for the Photo: Process Co: for me, the negative of the photo: my

Received from Thomas Donaldson Ten Dollars for books— Walt Whitman Dear TD I am here imprison'd yet in my

I have a copy of my big 900 Vol.