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tuesday Tuesday evenin evening My dear Walt i received your letter to day with the nice envelopes all

to any place where they live a long time) i am pretty well now i have been trouble d with a pain in my

Walt Whitman had written, "I have not been satisfied with my boarding place—so several weeks ago, I tried

another place & room for a couple of days & nights on trial, without giving up my old room—Well, I was

glad enough to go back to my old place & stay there" (see his August 24, 1868 letter to Louisa Van Velsor

There is a certain idea in my works—to glorify industry, nature and pure intstict.

I always remember that my ancestors were Dutch .

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

I don't know why some men compare my book with the Bible.

Mendelssohn is my favorite. I always like to hear him.

Those fellows have one virtue—they always use good paper: and on that I manage to do a good deal of my

"I've been taken and taken beyond count—taken from every side—even from my blind side"—laughing—"taken

I must be satisfied now if I have succeeded in hinting at matters which it was a part of my original

"I had my temptations, but they were not strong enough to tempt.

"I suppose I did: I wrote things down: I saw them better in my handwriting than in my mind's eye—could

How many's the argument I had on this very point with my friend Mrs.

I could never do that—my whole make-up is opposed.

seventy-first year—to review my habits.

W. then added with a laugh: "That is a part of my quarrel with Horace here about Emerson.

Davis—"My friend"—he called her—and to Ed also, in a similar phrase.

I must keep on my course, whatever turns up."

My dear Traubel:Your kind & welcome letter rec'd.

I am excessively busy—hence my scratches and scrawlses—and also my briefness.Heartily yoursBaker."

pointing to some papers that protruded from my pocket.

way, but because it is my way."

notice, you Kanuck woods") became verses 6-10; and the lines on the half-page ("I am indifferent to my

correspond to verses 1-5 of the 1860 version, and those on the second page ("And when I thought how/ my

though I lie so sleepy and sluggish, my tap is death" (1855, p. 74).

It was later reprinted in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891), under the title American National Literature before

Is this my sorry face? I am not sorry—I am glad—for the world."

two or three days—so on: we were quite thick then: thick: when I had money it was as freely Bill's as my

two or three days—so on: we were quite thick then: thick: when I had money it was as freely Bill's as my

I showed him a card I had from Josephine Lazarus, who had come into my nurse fund.

Later I found my watch wrong.

oh my yes!

—and on my assent: "Oh!

In my boyhood I had seen Davenport twice as Bill Sykes—then as Brutus.

My reading is wholly without plan: the first thing at hand, that is the thing I take up."

I hope you will continue writing me such notes as these, "My food nourishes me better."

My love to W.W.J. B.W. asked: "Is the postmark West Park?

W. says: "Maybe I've put my foot in it: maybe I'd better kept my mouth shut."

I had not repeated this to W., who today said to me: "Carpe diem is my motto."

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

431 Stevens Street Camden Jan: 26 '81 My dear friend I am sorry to have to send you word that I am not

unable to meet you & the other friends at dinner—I send you herewith a couple of pictures (I call it my

Quaker picture) —one is for your father —also the books herewith—also my love to you— Walt Whitman Walt

My dear Sir: Your note has been received. —Accept—for yourself, the Citizen , & Gen.

Halpine —My sincere thanks for your kindness. I fully appreciate it.

As I have not at my control, at this moment, any bound copies of Leaves of Grass , would you allow me

Some of my best friends—my own people—accuse me (have always accused me) of procrastination—the most

That might apply wonderfully well to my case." He was silent.

And yet he added: "My physical disabilities don't affect my power to think: no: not at all: but they

increase my inertia: they paralyze my fingers, for instance, so I don't want to write: but my brain keeps

My dear Horace:Yours of 18th just to hand.

written you long before, as well as after, but have been in a wretched condition with the misery in my

I don't improve in my back and legs as rapidly as I ought and am nearly as lame and heavy as you are,

Often as I have read it, I can't keep the tears out of my eyes."

White, even at my expense. Reason, Shakespearean hostility to the subject. This is a pretty note!

I wrote my mother voluminously from the War: ah! those letters! my dear, dear mother!

New-York is my birth-place.

Of my brothers and sisters I shall introduce only one, my brother Matthew, not quite two years younger

I was intended for the profession of the law; though, being lazy in my studies, it was not until my twenty-first

The very first day of my appearance there, about the middle of the morning, there came to see my master

My eyesight seemed to waver, my head felt dizzy, and a feeling of deadly nausea came over me.

What do my shouts amid lightnings and raging winds mean?)

To rise thither with my inebriate soul! To be lost if it must be so!

songs in Sex, Offspring of my loins.

was still ringing little bells last night under my ear.

voice, approach, Touch me, touch the palm of your hand to my body as I pass, Be not afraid of my body

What do my shouts amid lightnings and raging winds mean?)

To rise thither with my inebriate soul! To be lost if it must be so!

songs in Sex, Offspring of my loins.

was still ringing little bells last night under my ear.

voice, approach, Touch me, touch the palm of your hand to my body as I pass, Be not afraid of my body

A line like "What think you I take my pen in hand to record?"

dear friends, my lovers.

my thoughts—I do not expose them, And yet they expose me more than all my other poems.

What is yours is mine, my father . . .

my likeness!

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

walk with God in the dark, Than go alone in the light; I would rather walk with him by faith Than pick my

"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 the symphony true" Thomas

Walt Whitman, My dear Sir; Pardon my recent neglect of your case.

days, to see you again and that, in the meantime, you will steer along cheerfully, hopefully, without my

431 Stevens street Camden New Jersey Nov: November 17 My dear friend I do myself the real pleasure of

presenting you with a set of my books—which are sent by same mail with this—I have inscribed Mrs G's

name with yours on the fly leaf, & please show her this as a testimony of my remembrance & affection

London Ontario Canada I have journey'd out here from my home in Camden, & this will be my head-quarters

to different parts of Canada, but coming back here)—I have rec'd received the two Iowa papers, with my

328 Mickle Street Camden New Jersey June 20 '87 Thank you my friend for the delicious chocolate—I have

it for my breakfast frequently, & enjoy it—Please accept a copy of my little book "Specimen Days" London

Jan. 25, '74 My dear Rudolf Schmidt , Your letter of Jan. 2 has just reached me here.

I have been at death's door myself—& during the year have lost my dear mother & a dear sister by death

probably get well again—But I remain paralyzed yet—walk with difficulty & very little—have bad spells in my

If so, give him my address, & tell him to come & see me.

America (I have not given up my place in the Solicitor's office, Washington—but keep up communication

Friend Walter, Sir accordain to promis I now embrace this opportunity of informing you of my Safe arrival

My Friends gave me a warm reception Such as how are you Bush got robed did you &c I told them how it

I had the pleasure of meeting my Capt G.

laugh at me for not being sharper I told them it would be all right in cours of time live & learn is my

If you dont I do and I long for to see mine very much and I think she will want to see me— give my letter

16th recd —thanks—a storm wind rain &c yesterday & preceding night—but comfortable & snug here for me—my

to be out f'm stress of winds & waters, & we have a capital roof over the shanty—appetite good—made my

now feel & have always felt to have her mind for me as long as I live—Rec'd word f'm NA Rev : that my

—sold two books yesterday —suppose you rec'd the Eng'g Record (with obituary of my dear brother Jeff

D at my request made me a big cup of hot tea early in middle of afternoon, wh I sipp'd, drank & enjoyed

1890, contained an obituary of Thomas Jefferson Whitman, which Whitman wrote and reprinted in Good-Bye My

If so say I sent my best love, not forgetting little Jennie.

received—I have not heard from her since— I am pretty well, perhaps not so unconsciously hearty as before my

sickness—We are deprest in spirits home here about my brother George, (2d div 9th Corps)—if not killed

, he is a prisoner—he was in the engagement of Sept 30 on the extreme left.31 My book is not yet being

If you write to William I wish you to enclose him this letter—I wish him to receive again my faithful

What do my shouts amid lightnings and raging winds mean?)

songs in Sex, Offspring of my loins.

Behold me where I pass—hear my voice—approach, Touch me—touch the palm of your hand to my Body as I pass

; Be not afraid of my Body.

all was still, ringing little bells last night under my ear.

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.

Ere, departing, fade from my eyes your forests of bayo- nets bayonets ; Spirit of gloomiest fears and

steps keep time: —Spirit of hours I knew, all hectic red one day, but pale as death next day; Touch my

mouth, ere you depart—press my lips close!

Let them scorch and blister out of my chants, when you are gone; Let them identify you to the future,

knows, aught of them;) May-be seeming to me what they are, (as doubtless they indeed but seem,) as from my

changed points of view; —To me, these, and the like of these, are curiously an- swer'd answer'd by my

lovers, my dear friends; When he whom I love travels with me, or sits a long while holding me by the

appearances, or that of identity beyond the grave; But I walk or sit indifferent—I am satisfied, He ahold of my

knows, aught of them,) May-be seeming to me what they are (as doubtless they indeed but seem) as from my

, from entirely changed points of view; To me these and the like of these are curiously answer'd by my

lovers, my dear friends, When he whom I love travels with me or sits a long while holding me by the

appearances or that of identity beyond the grave, But I walk or sit indifferent, I am satisfied, He ahold of my

Ere departing fade from my eyes your forests of bayonets; Spirit of gloomiest fears and doubts, (yet

steps keep time; Spirit of hours I knew, all hectic red one day, but pale as death next day, Touch my

mouth ere you depart, press my lips close, Leave me your pulses of rage—bequeath them to me—fill me

with currents convulsive, Let them scorch and blister out of my chants when you are gone, Let them identify

aught of them;) May-be they only seem to me what they are, (as doubtless they indeed but seem,) as from my

from entirely changed points of view; To me, these, and the like of these, are curiously answered by my

lovers, my dear friends; When he whom I love travels with me, or sits a long while holding me by the

appearances, or that of identity beyond the grave, But I walk or sit indifferent—I am satisfied, He ahold of my

AH, whispering, something again, unseen, Where late this heated day thou enterest at my window, door,

utterance to my heart beyond the rest—and this is of them,) So sweet thy primitive taste to breathe within—thy

soothing fingers on my face and hands, Thou, messenger-magical strange bringer to body and spirit of

, now gone—haply from endless store, God-sent, (For thou art spiritual, Godly, most of all known to my

knows, aught of them,) May-be seeming to me what they are (as doubtless they indeed but seem) as from my

, from entirely changed points of view; To me these and the like of these are curiously answer'd by my

lovers, my dear friends, When he whom I love travels with me or sits a long while holding me by the

appearances or that of identity beyond the grave, But I walk or sit indifferent, I am satisfied, He ahold of my

Ere departing fade from my eyes your forests of bayonets; Spirit of gloomiest fears and doubts, (yet

steps keep time; Spirit of hours I knew, all hectic red one day, but pale as death next day, Touch my

mouth ere you depart, press my lips close, Leave me your pulses of rage—bequeath them to me—fill me

with currents convulsive, Let them scorch and blister out of my chants when you are gone, Let them identify

I rubbed my eyes a little, to see if this sunbeam were no illusion; but the solid sense of the book is

I wish to see my benefactor, and have felt much like striking my tasks and visiting New York to pay you

my respects.

Monthly just out (February)—shall have another in the March number —Can't seem to do, without occupying my

day—nights are worst for me—I cant can't rest well—has been so now for a month—But I must not fill my

letter with my complaints—To-day is just a Year, since I was paralyzed, (23 d Jan.

January '73)—What a year it has been to me—Good bye my loving boy—write me all the news & gossip.

My dear L— I perform the thrice-agreeable office of informing you that my purgatory here is just finishing

At present I think it improbable that I shall pay any visit to Jamaica, though I should like to see my

"— —"O. how my spirit springs and grows elastick at the idea of leaving this diabolical, and most p articularly

I rubbed my eyes a little to see if this sunbeam were no illusion; but the solid sense of the book is

I wish to see my benefactor, & have felt much like striking my tasks, & visiting New York to pay you

my respects.

Dear Walt The lovely spirit fled on Sunday afternoon at five o'clock.....My darling mother's life has

Some day next year I am going to send you a photograph from my last picture of mother I painted it this

I and brother (Percy Carlyle Gilchrist ) placed her semblance in my father's grave this morning at Kensal-Green

She died in my arms.

.: My Dear Sir:— I shall not flatter myself that you retain any knowledge or the faintest recollection

—While reading this paragraph, an army (and no small army) of reminiscences were called to my mind, prominent

After my most cordial regards allow me to say that I should feel SO proud to receive your autograph at

My Sister attained quite a reputation about that time as a writer for News-papers under the nom-de-plume

(1884) 328 Mickle street Camden Monday 3 pm Nov 10 Thanks my dear friend for the nice chicken—I have

just had a part of it for my dinner—& the honey in the comb just like that is something I like—I had

request of a fine jolly young Englishman who is visiting there for a few days, & told me much about my

considerably better, more able to get around since the cool weather has set in—had rather a bad summer—my