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leave Walt the 4th July I rushit rush it some I have the best buggy and Harness there is in Scio with my

of the big guns out here Walt the folks know very little is a letup on me every one is trying to be my

present but write to me as soon as you get this G I Storms Walter do not wate wait for me to write give my

enquiring friends Dressmaker in particular and give me his address if you can George I Storms P.S. in my

(seven—me at the head) drank health & respects to Queen Victoria—(it was her birth day you know—)— —My

sailors from the ship down stairs Sunday toward noon May 26 A clouded rather rawish day—Am going up to my

friends Mr & Mrs: Harned's in an hour, in my wheel chair—to stay a few minutes & probably get a drink

—Nothing particular to write—my head is a little heavy & thick—no pocket-book copies yet, but I count

. | May 26 | 5 PM | 89; Philadelphia | 6PM | 1889 | Transit; London | AM | MY 28 | 89 | Canada.

want the to appear as it was in the pamphlet, a form which always pleased us both, and you will see by my

with a carefully transcribed printer's copy of the pamphlet, and it is evident that the galoot has had my

My Good Gray reads really well in the new version. I had no idea it was so good!!

If I get a revise, I will correct: if not, you please have an "s" put on to my "lightning"—it is more

L OUIS March 30th, 18 70 My dear Walt I suppose you think strange that I hav'nt written you before but

work goes on well we have delightful weather here everything looks like Spring I am glad I put off my

been ample and I should have enjoyed a visit with Mrs O Conner very much indeed Please convey to them my

love and express to them my hearty thanks for their kindness—also say to Mrs O C and family that we

GuiyouHuang"Beginning My Studies" (1865)"Beginning My Studies" (1865)This poem first appeared in the

declaration not to become a systematic or aggressive student of philosophy.In theme and tone "Beginning My

"Beginning My Studies" (1865)

but bright & sunshiny—have just read your good letter of the 22d—Nothing special or different about my

formed one, has been [ ] foot, but is now nearly [ ] been steady—I have tended it— My sister and brother

Geo: George are well—My other sisters, nieces, & brother Jeff , were well at last accounts.

Tribune of last Saturday (19th ) had the 2½ column synopsis of my new book, pretty full & fair —I suppose

indifferent , but trembling with age and your unheal'd wounds, you mounted the scaffold;) I would sing in my

know not why, but I loved you…(and so go forth little song, Far over sea speed like an arrow, carrying my

love, and drop these lines at his feet;) —Nor forget I to sing of the wonder, the ship as she swam up my

bay, Well-shaped and stately the Great Eastern swam up my bay, she was 600 feet long, Her moving swiftly

17unc.00012xxx.00486Then my mother hastening1883-1888prose1 leafhandwritten; This manuscript contains

Then my mother hastening

Sir: Your letter of the 15th Dec. inst. calls my attention to a certain course of proceedings of Mr.

Your letter also calls my attention to the supposed authority which you had, in consequence of or in

In a personal interview during your visit to Washington immediately after my reception of your letter

of making good the assurances of the government, in this sense and to this extent, I considered it my

I beg to enclose a copy of my letter to the Dist. Attorney, for your information.

On the chair a sprig of holly, which he called my attention to.

I have been speculating what to do with the letter—whether to send it on one of my combination trips—to

If it was dropped, it must have been for some good reason—for I have my reasons—to me the best of reasons—for

"Take my books!

Long ago I first came across them—cherished them: they have been part of my household for many years—a

I consider him one of my true friends. He looked well and fat—his arm nearly recovered.

Suddenly he looked at me and laughed: "I got my poem back from Harper's Weekly," he remarked.

Then besides, a man at my years and condition must not worry about anything." But what of the poem?

Intends to insert the autobiographic page out of my book—also a new advertising page, which he wrote

Left that in my hands.

In his room—complained of "an infernal inertia" which "binds me to my chair."

"I suppose we may account for this by saying that the essay is on democratic art, not on me—has not my

I have noticed in some of my friends that after a period of enthusiasm they are like to retrace their

"I am afraid that my response to that would be as with the Diplomatic Secret—that there is no secret!

I find my habits growing lazier and lazier." Tuesday, July 29, 1890

world, a rural domestic life; Give me to warble spontaneous songs, reliev'd, recluse by myself, for my

excitement, and rack'd by the war-strife;) These to procure, incessantly asking, rising in cries from my

heart, While yet incessantly asking, still I adhere to my city; Day upon day, and year upon year, O

enrich'd of soul—you give me forever faces; (O I see what I sought to escape, confronting, reversing my

cries; I see my own soul trampling down what it ask'd for.) 2 Keep your splendid, silent sun; Keep your

54, Manchester Road, Bolton England Jan 6th '91 My best thanks to you, my dear, good old friend for your

you help me to do more than I can tell you—and sick folks are numerous at this time of the year—But my

work has its compensations obably, nay, certainly, heightens my enjoyment & appreciation of the beauty

, the mystery & somewhat of the meaning of the shards of External Nature which have opened my eyes to

Ballacooil Dalby Isle of Man Aug 6 th 1891 My Dear Old Friend Your kind p.c. of July 24 has been forwarded

to me here—the photos referred to being I suppose detained at Bolton till my return there tomorrow.

To my right are gigantic wave-washed boulders; to my left rise the grim barren headlands of the southern

Pardon my writing more at present as I am rather busy with arrears of work God's blessing rest on you

disagreeable , if he has written & you will mind it, you would understand why if you had Dear Brother in my

hurry I made a mistake, thought this was written on I hope with my whole heart that I have not said

I think a great deal of my home with all my troubles I have only spoke of myself & could not help it

today Good bye Han Give my love to all Hannah Whitman Heyde to Walt Whitman, 2 January [1879]

My honest thanks to you, Hugo, for your letter posting me up not only about yourself but about my dear

When I went up to my room that night towards 11 I took a seat by the open window in the splendid soft

moonlit night, and, there alone by myself, (as is my custom sometimes under such circumstances), I devoted

Fred's room, so pleasant, with its effect I remember of pictures, fine color, &c. to have the delight of my

"My own greatest pleasure at Pfaff's was to look on—to see, talk little, absorb," Whitman observed to

I am one of these fellows who wish to know what you think of my productions.

perhaps, you being an old veteran at it and knowing what is and what is not, you would kindly grant my

You will find on perusing the verses that I am a little melancholy in my tone, much more so than you.

Life and Death Dance on fair Life, yet a short while Will I allow thee to exist; But soon I'll cast my

that are to come Be they as pure as miry Hell is lewd, Or sunk in sin as black as God is good, Must to my

yesterday morning to receive your kind post card of Dec br : 23 rd , & I thank you for it with all my

nerves, which is very slow to quit, & which, while it lasts, prevents me from doing any thing beyond my

And I trust that in good time, & by God's help, I shall be able to do so—perhaps all the better for my

Meanwhile, it is my proudest & dearest privilege to write to you, & to shew you something—(if nothing

better) of a love which is as that of a son, & of the gratitude & homage due to my greatest benefactor

Traubel Camden, July 3, '79 To W.W My dear friend, I'll write you a few words again—for this warm weather

My curiosity has not abated by one jot and I would esteem it a favor if you would let me know at least

My bias is for Dickens. I like a good aim of pathos in a novel—nothing maudlin but all natural.

I think I referred to it in one of my last letters. Write soon! Yours hastily, H. L. T.

My regards to —— those : Emerson, Whitman, Major Stearns , , and the rest of the good fellows!

when we meet, Tom—but some six weeks ago was careless enough to get badly chill'd chilled all through my

My great loafing place out there is a big old woods, mostly pine & oak, but lots of laurel & holly, old

Broadway New York from the top of an omnibus—at other times along the seashore at Coney Island)— Tom, my

filled & I must close—I wanted to write something about the running & matches, but must postpone it—Give my

love to all my friends there & you yourself, dear boy— Walt Whitman Walt Whitman to Thomas Nicholson

Take my hand Walt Whitman" "Lift me close to your face Till I whisper " "What you are holding is in reality

"Here take from my lips this kiss" "I give it especially to you .

Cooly, composedly, whilst the hot lava inwardly boiling, rages through my breast.

You are my child—Lord & Ideal.

I wish they could see my Soul. Would they deem it lovely. I do not bother much about the exterior.

As I write it is about noon, & I am sitting up in my room, with a window open & the bright sun streaming

I eat my breakfast with relish this morning, salmon, Graham bread, coffee, &c.

At present my head cannot stand any thing. Still, to-day I am feeling rather better than usual.

I have eat my dinner—beef steak & potatos potatoes , with pumpkin pie & a cup of tea—I eat very moderately

these spells are, (& seems as if they will continue to come on,) I still have abiding hopes & trust of my

OFFICE, Washington Aug. 15, 1865 Dear Anson, As there is a sort of lull and quiet for a short time in my

My dear friend; I am sorry you could not have been with me for a day or two before you left Washington

writing this at the office, otherwise I would enclose one of the card photographs in it—they are up at my

room—I will send one in my next.

Write how your leg is—Give my best remembrances to Wood—he is a good man & I hope he will prosper through

26 , & of the 29 May, previously acknowledged) All gives me entire satisfaction & comfort—arousing my

I have not yet my pay for the little Man-of-War-Bird in nor the prose piece on the War in the Examiner

lately to T., as I supposed him abroad on the continent—but I intend to write soon—& send him a set of my

T. sees my poems —but I do his , & strongly, (& there perhaps I have the advantage of him)—but I think

Kent —Has the Secularist my address?

My dear friend and master— I am at last able to send you the lecture, which I have now got published

I have appended to my lecture a transl. translation of the Song of the Answerer, & in getting this translation

astonished at the amount of discussion it gave rise to, between myself & a German friend who looked over my

I had hoped great things from Gladstone's government, but that accursed Egyptian war opened my eyes finally

And yet I did not always see my way to these views myself.

about your dismissal from the Interior Department, and as I once read your book, I am moved to express my

the President coming in and we stept back into the East Room and stood near the front windows, where my

It didn't last more than three or four minutes, but there was something about a letter which my friend

I expect to be in Washington on my way down South in a few days and will take the freedom of giving you

Please don't mention my name in connection with what I write about Harlan.

Down at White Horse At the Staffords'— Aug 3 My dear Herb I came down here yesterday afternoon in the

the lane & across the big field, but the strong sun welcome to me, for all that—Here I sit (have hung my

good—No mail to-day & I must wait to send this to-morrow— August 5th I am writing this up in Harry's & my

dinner—Much obliged for the designs on the block—very nice—also the letter—both arriving safe—Give my

hardly know where) for the rest of the summer, & will not forget to send some written or printed sign of my

Was greatly interested anyhow in my Germantown trip—in my description of greens—the rain-freshened landscape.I

W. listened intently to my rehearsal of Clifford's opinions and reasons, and for the rest of the time

of my stay seemed much more troubled and silent than before.

s consent to write to Stedman for my two letters, submit them to W., and if he approved, consent that

Nowadays my memory for names seems strangely deserting me—strangely."

"In my opera days, I always took care to get a libretto the day before, then took care to leave it at

And on my saying "yes" and saying I wished he might see him, he looked dubious.

wonderful good—you cannot bring the shells home to your room or the sound of the sea or the skies—nor I my

old days, my youth, my forty years ago, any more!"

Ed gave him my address but of course he did not come to see me.

"William O'Connor and Nellie O'Connor occupy a large place in my memory—not in my memory alone, but in

that larger life—my emotional, sympathetic, poetic, life—which has most importantly commanded me.

—all my feeling, once divided, seems to flow out to Ellen alone.

force, accretion, gift, effulgence—soul-force, let us call it, for want of a better word: the making of my

I have always felt, what my mother often said to me, that these old folk of the grand type were made

and he urged I come right in—holding my hand warmly and firmly.

Davis sign receipt—then up again—W. taking both my hands in his own then—reaching forward to kiss me.

it seems to be a statement from some of my friends—a protest—which asks the world that they may not be

awe, bolsters my conviction, lifts me.

He asked about my trip both ways—when I got in—how all the folks were—"Pardee and Ina? Ah yes!

I shall have my Waterloo, no doubt soon, but till then?"

—As to having Bush and others who have never met him come to the dinner—"If I were asked my own preference

, I should say, no—I'd rather they did not come: I do not like to make my first appearance in such condition

But the Century folks treat me well—very well; I find they humor all my eccentricities."

Joking about my increased salary: "You must look out—you will be in danger of growing rich: riches are

But again I came back to my early notion, whether it was not as well for men to observe the dial of the

Then, "I do not suppose there is any great mystery about my condition.

hide from a doctor)—that even now, as I sit here—and from only the little talk with you two fellows—my

I perhaps give only vague expression to my idea, but it is quite clear in my own mind.

I have my differences, he has his, but we agree in the main, which is enough."

That is my expectation.

As I have always understood Eakins, half of the picture is his, half mine—and my half I promised to Dr

"Yes, I suppose: and now you can witness my wish in the matter—that Bucke shall have it in payment—or

my interest in it—and Eakins' lien, too, if Eakins will assent to it."

When I entered I excused my cold hand. W. thereupon held it.

Ap 21, 1876 My dearest Friend, I must write again, out of a full heart.

"The Two Rivulets" has filled it very full—Ever the deep inward assent, rising up strong, exultant, my

Ever the sense of dearness —the sweet subtle perfume, pervading every page, every line to my sense—O

nor what answering emotion pervades me, flows out towards you—sweetest deepest greatest experience of my

Do not dissuade me from coming this autumn my dearest Friend —I have waited patiently 7 years—patiently

for him, in a whirl of bitter work and many cares, a long helter-skelter sort of an introduction, for my

He thought my prolegomena good, and I was sorry I could not make it better, but if Rees, Welsh & Co.

publish his book, I will strive to refurbish my contribution and make it better.

The thing for a pamphlet will be my letters upon Oliver Stevens and company, when we get to a stopping

Postmaster General, with my assistance, and we will put in a copy of this letter of Chainey's.

Dearest Friend: I am sitting in my room with my dear little grandson, the sweetest little fellow you

Giddy and Norah (my 3d third daughter) are gone into Durham to do some shopping.

It is about the only thing I have read since my return.

hardly realized till I left it how dearly I love America—great sunny land of hope and progress—or how my

Give my love to those of our friends whom you know & tell them not to forget us.

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

— Tuesday 29th —began sunshine but soon clouded and rain-looking—a rare egg, Graham bread & tea for my

attending—Unpleasant this ab't Mary Costelloe's ailing health & strength —I think quite a good deal ab't it—My

My dear friend, Thank you—thank you!

From the condition of my heart death is a daily probability to my conciousness consciousness & I face

all my responsibilities in the sense that it may be for me the last time.

The invective continued on November 18: "He is the worst nuisance & worriment of my illness —Keeps me

March 28/ 80 My dearest Friend Has it seemed to you a long while since I wrote?

And as regards my own feelings (though I am sorry for her sorrow, & sorry too that the excellent work

if not I will tell it you in my next & you will like him all the more.

My love to all My thoughts travel daily to America—it has become a part of my life in a very real sense

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

First Annex" (the Second Annex contains poems from a previously published miscellany entitled Good-Bye My

Talking to Traubel about the subject matter of these poems, Whitman said, "Of my personal ailments, of

"Queries to My Seventieth Year" reveals some of the ambiguous feelings he has about the year to come.

In "As I Sit Writing Here" he writes, "Not my least burden is that dulness of the years, querilities,

/ Ungracious glooms, aches, lethargy, constipation, whimpering ennui, / May filter in my daily songs

Conway is very friendly—but my friend Col.

I have received another paper from England to-day, with a tremendous big favorable notice of my book,

The English publisher of my book, Mr Hotten, sends them to me— Saturday, noon —I am going off for the

Stanbery is to speak on the trial, & I may go in & hear him a few minutes, but I guess I shall spend my

am determined to make you out a letter—I have been sitting here in the office all alone, fixing up my

W. reports again, "This has been a horribly poor day, one of my worst—even now I am little if any better

Take them—take them with my love." Warrie quite determined to go to New York to meet Bucke.

I saw myself in it—my idea. I am not afraid but you go straight to my intention in such reports."

Walt," he said, "I want to get something from you for my next issue.

And my friend, in telling me the story, said he saw his mistake at once, but Whitman never noticed it

I never thought of Buck's $10 again till three or four days later, when I opened my long memorandum book

So I carried Buck's $10 in my memo book till Nov. 28, when your call came and, putting $5 more with it

can explain to Walt the whole thing, and relieve me from what seems a mean thing.I am not ashamed of my

I have done my duty and been liberal as I could possibly afford to be.

All-seeing I am as clear as crystal and am not worried even if I am annoyed and wish I had stated in my

love, spit their salutes; When the fire-flashing guns have fully alerted me— when heaven-clouds canopy my

To us, my city, Where our tall-topt marble and iron beauties range on opposite sides—to walk in the space

4 See, my cantabile!

chant, projected, a thousand blooming cities yet, in time, on those groups of sea-islands; I chant my

sail-ships and steam-ships threading the archipelagoes; I chant my stars and stripes fluttering in the

salutes, When the fire-flashing guns have fully alerted me, and heaven- clouds heaven-clouds canopy my

To us, my city, Where our tall-topt marble and iron beauties range on opposite sides, to walk in the

See my cantabile!

, I chant the world on my Western sea, I chant copious the islands beyond, thick as stars in the sky,

sail-ships and steam-ships threading the archipelagoes, My stars and stripes fluttering in the wind,

salutes, When the fire-flashing guns have fully alerted me, and heaven- clouds heaven-clouds canopy my

To us, my city, Where our tall-topt marble and iron beauties range on opposite sides, to walk in the

See my cantabile!

, I chant the world on my Western sea, I chant copious the islands beyond, thick as stars in the sky,

sail-ships and steam-ships threading the archipelagoes, My stars and stripes fluttering in the wind,

I am sorry to tell you that after all my careful economy & saving, the various things into which William

But I have been trying my best to put into order; but must soon drop all & go for a time, or I shall

If ever the people that owe money to William would pay me, I should not be so worried about my daily

It is like taking my life to have to give up a home with no prospect of ever having one again.

So I said, I will keep you informed of my whereabouts. & with love always— Nelly O'Connor. Ellen M.

never been translated) and send you a version of some of his splendid sentences; and when I collect my

I am afraid, too, that the Doctor overstates my proficiency in Elizabethan letters.

As I read it, my main thought was whether it would do good or harm, and I am still in dubiety on this

Shouldn't wonder if the book, and especially my share in it, would make an enormous row!

The title page is very handsome, and the Lucretian motto delights my soul.

love, spit their salutes; When the fire-flashing guns have fully alerted me— when heaven-clouds canopy my

See, my cantabile!

For I too, raising my voice, join the ranks of this pageant; I am the chanter—I chant aloud over the

pageant; I chant the world on my Western Sea; I chant, copious, the islands beyond, thick as stars in

chant, projected, a thousand blooming cities yet, in time, on those groups of sea-islands; I chant my