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earth, she cried—I charge you, lose not my sons!

local spots, and you airs that swim above lightly, And all you essences of soil and growth—and you, O my

; And you trees, down in your roots, to bequeath to all future trees, My dead absorb—my young men's beautiful

darlings—give my immortal heroes; Exhale me them centuries hence—breathe me their breath—let not an

O my dead, an aroma sweet! Exhale them perennial, sweet death, years, centuries hence.

Dear Son Pete, Here I sit again by the heater in the parlor, writing my weekly letter—I have just had

my dinner, some cold turkey & glass of Missouri wine &c.

—had been out to the P.O. some five or six squares distant—but have to take my time—Am still getting

is undoubtedly better, which, I hope will in time bring improvement in my walking, & in my head, &c

November 25, they print a portrait of my beautiful phiz. & a criticism on my books, one of the best &

My improvement is not much in the head troubles, & hardly any in my left leg, but very perceptible in

my strength & vim generally— & my confidence remains (still unaffected in the main, by all the tediousness

took, at my own price at once & sent me the money)—They are in type, and I have read the proofs.

So they are off my mind.

Nelly, my dear, I received your welcome letter last evening. I am waiting for the photos of my St.

May 30.1889— My Dear Walt— Let me send my hand & heart to you in this pen-scrawl, bearing loving, reverential

Accept then my love, my hopes of other birthdays, my fraternal & gladsome kiss and word on this birthday

However I offer you my congratulations.

Fraternally & Faithfully yours "Dick" (RJ) Hinton My wife joins me fully. Richard J.

My children and grand-children—my white hair and beard, My largeness, calmness, majesty, out of the long

stretch of my life.

is my mind!

O the real life of my senses and flesh, transcending my senses and flesh; O my body, done with materials—my

O to have my life henceforth my poem of joys!

My children and grand-children—my white hair and beard, My largeness, calmness, majesty, out of the long

stretch of my life.

is my mind!

O the real life of my senses and flesh, transcending my senses and flesh; O my body, done with materials—my

O to have my life henceforth my poem of joys!

Advertiser Office Boston Aug. 1 1887 My dear Sir: I have lately been spending happy days with my dear

Returning home I found on my table the papers and pamphlet, and photogravure photograph of yourself,

The portrait hangs now on my wall in my little book-lined den at Waltham, where I may see it whenever

I raise my eyes from my work.

With profound gratitude for your especial notice of my faulty work, and a deep sense of obligation for

"They met—this man and my sister.

My sister fell!

"One day my sister was missing.

He accepted my challenge.

I was blinded by my hate for my sister's betrayer.

minnesota Wright Co Howard Lake may 12 1874 Walt Whitman my dear friend I received yours dated April

be good for your the there are some comming coming from the different Stats states for their health. my

friend Whitman I love you when I think of the kindness you shew show to me my heart is swelled with

gratitude to you may the lord preserve you and giv give you a home in heaven my friend i have bin been

in a bad stat state of health for 10 months I have the dropsy of the heart I am getting better & my

Detroit June 18 th 1880 169 East Elizabeth St Street My Dear Friend— I am greatly obliged for your Book

been exceedingly interested—also I rec'd received the Paper— The hospitals during the War, were in my

could but feel the distress of the homesickness of the poor fellows—when the news came to me, that my

I can stand that—for it would be my own suffering, but I cant endure to think of Percy as wounded in

sorrow not his— I hope that you recd my story of "Leaves of Grass"—I and my family had hoped to have

my dearly beloved walter Walter thank god i feel better this morning i hope i shall be better now my

rheumatism is better in my limbs whether its that or what has affected my head i cannot tell but my head

and my very brain has seemed to be affected but i feel better this morning and hope i shall be better

enough to see to things eddy Eddy is very good boy lately he says he hopes i wont won't die good bie my

Walt's mother had described "a trembling in my whole system" in her May 5–6 letter, and he was alarmed

Louisa Van Velsor Whitman at the onset of this event, presumably a stroke, described "trembling in my

yours of 16 th —Mine of 17 will have advised you of the situation here, & the general character of my

Charles W Reynell's (No 1. in your transcript) and J Leicester Warren (No 2)—& authorize you or any of my

The whole business requires to be done with perfect candor to my generous friends—to you & the other

New York or Philadelphia banker, payable to my order —(if in Philadelphia, on Drexel & Co. bankers,

, forever falling in my way.

Leet Let this be my apology for speaking to you with my heart laid bare—I tried very hard to secure a

copy of your "Leaves", and at last in New York did so, I took the book up and ran my eyes over detached

dear sir, I cannot analyze my feelings, had any one told me that my blood would leap, my soul cry out

I do not know if you will read anything I say, whether my name is a familiar or unfamiliar one to you

I have taken "from your lips" the kiss, and with all my heart and soul return it to you.

I do not know what I carry in my arms pressed close to my side and bosom!

I turn my steps to "Zion's Mill" a cemetery.

My womb is clean and pure. It is ready for thy child my love.

how lovingly will I cherish and guard it, our child my love. Thine the pleasure my love.

My motives are pure and holy. Our boy my love! Do you not already love him?

Noumeáa Nouvelle-Calédonie (Colonies Françaises) 3/7 1890 Dear Walt, an important event took place in my

As I have no fortune whatever, and journalism does not suit my temper, I obtained a situation in our

My opinion, too, is that Bruno is one of the martyrs of free thought, one of our martyrs, and one of

On my arrival here I suffered from this Oceanian climate, but am getting better each day and will, no

Morris by this very post; be assured, dear Walt, of all my love Gabriel Sarrazin My address is as follows

letters in the Trent Collection at Duke University as one of the "true treasures [that] helped shape my

"My Boys and Girls," The Rover , April 20, 1844. Reprinted in The Early Poems and Sketches, ed.

ldent shut my hand my finger were so swoln but we got along." March 26–28?

present plan to do the ensuing winter at my leisure in Washington."

All errors I claim as my own.

my own rhymes—being assisted in this (perhaps unwise move) by my friends.

May I send you a copy of my book in June?—when it will be safely out. D. V.

MY FRIEND I have a friend who is so true to me, We may not parted be.

away; He is my perfect day.

Thou art indeed my friend while ages roll, O! thou my deathless soul. C. W. S. AT ANCHOR.

ONE breath, O my silent soul, A perfum'd thought—no more I ask, for the sake of all dead soldiers.

Buglers off in my armies!

At present I ask not you to sound; Not at the head of my cavalry, all on their spirited horses, With

Invisible to the rest, henceforth become my compan- ions companions ; Follow me ever!

Perfume therefore my chant, O love! immortal Love!

reached me, I have to say that I accept the proposal made in it respecting your English publication of my

that you have the privilege of selling that publication in the United States, on payment to me, or my

My book has never been really published here at all & the market is in a sort vacant of supplies.

Accept my thanks for the William Blake .

And now, my dear sir, please accept with my trust in the success of the enterprise my kindest respects

September 1st 1877 Mr Whitman My dear friend Your letter of May from Kirkwood was duly rec d received

but as I dislike writing letters, & have been pretty busy I hope you will pardon my delay.

I believe I told you in my last letter of my intention to become, if possible, an engineer, My intention

still holds good, but despite all my efforts, I have failed to obtain a situation I suppose the trouble

lies in my not being acquainted with men of that class, so for the present I will have to take things

The bad spells in my head continued at short intervals all through Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

ready to have them, and pretty sick and sore and bad, especially in head, confusing me, and affecting my

I have rewritten my Will, with some slight changes and additions, and placed it in the pocket of my trunk

here. … Ate my breakfast like a man this morning.

My eyes gave out before through. . . .

328 Mickle street Camden New Jersey May 24 '85 My dear Watson Gilder I am in about my usual general health

(which is nothing to brag of) but my locomotion is worse—had a fall a month ago & turned my ankle in

, & at my age one dont recover from such things—Have no thought of coming to New York—If I did so, I

Walt Whitman Were the artist to visit Philadelphia I would sit to him here in my own room—good place

I do not know but you think me rather neglectful in my writing to you but if you knew the pain that I

have in my head, the whole of the time you would not think hard of me.

Walt—I am sorry that I am as feeble, and that my friends and likewise my Doctor think that I never shall

lying in my pathway and I can not seem to remove them nor hide them from my mind, I have tried to look

I feel she has saved me, in the worst of my sickness she hardly left my room how often have I thought

Not My Enemies Ever Invade Me NOT MY ENEMIES EVER INVADE ME.

NOT my enemies ever invade me—no harm to my pride from them I fear; But the lovers I recklessly love—lo

me, ever open and helpless, bereft of my strength!

Good-Bye My Fancy! GOOD-BYE MY FANCY! GOOD-BYE my Fancy! Farewell dear mate, dear love!

going away, I know not where, Or to what fortune, or whether I may ever see you again, So Good-bye my

Now for my last—let me look back a moment; The slower fainter ticking of the clock is in me, Exit, nightfall

—now separation—Good-bye my Fancy.

my Fancy.

do not procreate like men; all of them and all existing creeds grows not so much of God as I grow in my

moustache, And I am myself waiting my time to be a God; I think I h shall do as much good and be as

pure and prodigious, and do as much good as any; — And when my do, I am, do you suppose it will please

wriggles through the world mankind and hides under helmets and it is not beloved never loved or believed.— My

See in particular the lines: "The supernatural of no account . . . . myself waiting my time to be one

sings as well as I, because although she reads no newspaper; never learned the gamut; And to shake my

The first lines of the notebook poem were revised and published as "My Picture-Gallery" in The American

May 20 th /73 My dearest Friend Such a joyful surprise was that last paper you sent me, with the Poem

& by thoughts you have given me blent in & suffusing all: No hope or aim or practical endeavour for my

For there is not a line nor a word in it at which my spirit does not rise up instinctive and fearlessly

draught that I know is for me, because it is for all—the love that you give me on the broad ground of my

Good bye my best beloved Friend. Annie Gilchrist.

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

My dear Sir: Mr.

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

My name is known to your friend Mr.

I enclose prospectus of my Editions of Poe's works.

Only not mounted as I want it for mounting in my own fashion, safest way of sending is round a small

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

Jan: January 23 1877 My dear Sir, I hardly know through what a malign series of crooked events—absence

chiefly on my part in Italy & Switzerland, pressure of studious work, & miscarriage of letters—I should

however, begging you to send me copies of Leaves of Grass & Two Rivulets , & enclosing a Cheque on my

This is now framed & hangs in my bedroom.

I do not know whether you are likely to have heard that I make literature my daily work.

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

It gives me a deep sincere pleasure to write this note, but I should like to say about my article, that

Whitman, late in life, said to Horace Traubel: "[I] take my Ruskin with some qualifications."

Dear Mr Whitman Please pardon my intrusion but as I am a great lover of literature especially poetry,

Miller's muse If you will be so kind as to answer my critical questions I will thank you very much.

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

My great regret is that with his magnificent abilities he should have done so comparatively little to

It is postmarked: London | PM | MY 13 | 89 | Canada; Camden, N.J. | May | 15 | 30 PM | 1889 | Rec'd.

Your card of the 24th came two days ago, not a little to my relief.

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

there from Saturday night until Monday morning before any train left I dont think I ever was so sick in my

with your office I am in hopes you have recd it before this time I begun to think that your office & my

discharge had gone to the same place now I have got my papers I think you had ought to receive yours

I cant write any more this time my hand trembles so I can hardly write but I will try & do better next

time give my best respects to Mr & Mrs O Connor.

Of the O'Connors, Thomas Jefferson Whitman wrote on June 13, 1863: "I am real glad, my dear Walt, that

same with me—I wonder if (& hope) you will see Edw'd Carpenter (Millthorpe n'r Chesterfield) one of my

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

It is postmarked: LONDON | MY 7 | 91 | CANADA.; CAMDEN, N.J. | MAY | 9 | 1PM | 1891 | REC'D.

Louis Nov. 10 th My Dear Uncle Walt, I have been thinking about you so much lately, that I am going to

I am still at my old quarters and will remain for this Winter, after that is as yet an unsettled problem

was an admirer of the former, I think even more of him, for the good taste in thinking so much of "my

Traubel, With Walt Whitman in Camden, Thursday, September 12, 1889 and Saturday, September 14, 1889: "My

Brooklyn January 20 1865 My dear friend I suppose you must have heard from Ashton that I received Mr.

We got word yesterday by means of an exchanged prisoner, from my brother George, but only up to November

I suppose you got my letter of some ten days since.

Nelly, I send you my love, & hope you are well & [in] good spirits. Farewell.

Of the O'Connors, Thomas Jefferson Whitman wrote on June 13, 1863: "I am real glad, my dear Walt, that

I am sitting in the old chair in my Mickle st. den writing this—fine weather— Walt Whitman Walt Whitman

Whitman occasionally referred to Stafford as "My (adopted) son" (as in a December 13, 1876, letter to

June 9 '89 Lou, I rec'd the aspargus, strawberries &c, by Charley—have had some of the a[sparagus] for my

least either on the right or left side) with a button at top—I am so in the habit of carrying things in my

dull here muchly—I am sitting up in the 2d story room alone—door & windows open—Did you or George get my

Whitman noted that Louisa "bro't my new blue gown" on June 11, 1889 (The Commonplace-Book, Charles E.

letter came in the noon mail & I will write a few lines—Glad to hear little Susie is well & send her my

bring the chicken for me—it will be acceptable—Herbert was here this forenoon but did not come up to my

(painting most likely) on the carpet—at any rate I tho't he looks hearty & well—I am still kept in my

I almost doubt if I ever will—weakness extreme—I have sold the mare & phæton—I sold her for a song—my

and one big 900 Vol. to contain all my works—you shall have them, when ready—Harry too—I send my love

Whitman occasionally referred to Stafford as "My (adopted) son" (as in a December 13, 1876, letter to

That Shadow, My Likeness THAT SHADOW, MY LIKENESS.

THAT shadow, my likeness, that goes to and fro, seek- ing seeking a livelihood, chattering, chaffering

it where it flits; How often I question and doubt whether that is really me; But in these, and among my

lovers, and carolling my songs, O I never doubt whether that is really me.

That Shadow, My Likeness. That Shadow, my Likeness.

THAT shadow, my likeness, that goes to and fro, seek- ing seeking a livelihood, chattering, chaffering

where it flits; How often I question and doubt whether that is really me; —But in these, and among my

lovers, and caroling my songs, O I never doubt whether that is really me.

W. asked me what was my middle initial, which he has never used in writing my name.

Give my love to all the rest—explain that I am tied down to my chair here—that my head needs to be humored

will should be my sister in law Mrs: Louisa Orr Whitman and my brother George W Whitman (now resident

effects, money, of my house and lot 328 Mickle Street—Also that my said executrix under this will is

Nancy Whitman, my brother Andrew's widow, fifty dollars ($50).In sign of my writing my nameWALT WHITMANall

My head has some bad spells, & a touch or more nearly every day, & my locomotion is still as clumsy as

am happy in not having any of those spasms of three weeks since, & indeed I have glimpses again of my

Louis, from my brother Jeff—I am very fond of it for breakfast, can eat it every day—(My appetite is

my love to Wash Milburn—I am writing this up in my room, 3 o'clock, pleasant weather, sun shining, window

Good bye for this time, my loving boy. Walt. Walt Whitman to Peter Doyle, 24 October [1873]

Dec: 3 '88 This is the title-page of a small ed'n of Nov: B . in Scotland I tho't might amuse you —My

concise examination—It has resulted the last four nights in quite no sleep, wh' is a pretty bad factor in my

big chair by the fire, the stove—it is sharp & cold, bright & sunny—Ed Wilkins (my young Kanuck, my

nurse & helper, Dr B. sent) has just come in to tell me the result of an errand—& so monotonously my

thread winds on— My friends Mr & Mrs: Harned have a new: born son —every thing working well—poor Dave

O I cruise my old cruise again!

My children and grand-children, my white hair and beard, My largeness, calmness, majesty, out of the

long stretch of my life.

my senses and flesh, My body done with materials, my sight done with my material eyes, Proved to me

this day beyond cavil that it is not my material eyes which finally see, Nor my material body which finally

O I cruise my old cruise again!

My children and grand-children, my white hair and beard, My largeness, calmness, majesty, out of the

long stretch of my life.

my senses and flesh, My body done with materials, my sight done with my material eyes, Proved to me

this day beyond cavil that it is not my material eyes which finally see, Nor my material body which finally