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almost human tenderness in the atmosphere, to get up and go out, and as I was being wheeled about by my

But I staid just a little too long in my unaccustomed wanderings, because I had not been out before during

It was after sunset when I got back to my home, and I enjoyed my supper better than I had for many a

I can read the magazines, and my friends from abroad keep me advised as to what is going on in the world

"Every fine day I have my stalwart attendant wheel me out, often to the Federal street ferry, where,

As Carlyle says in his life of John Sterling, many of my seances with O'Reilly are written in star-fire

meeting at Young's was a most memorable one, and Emerson was kind enough to select the passages from my

England are imperative and I must soon sail for merrie England, and after a short stay I will keep my

promise to visit you and to renew my pleasant memories of the Pacific slope.'

My last visit to Camden was early in October, before I went abroad.

An autograph letter of Walt's was sold in this city last Spring for $80 to my knowledge."

Finally he hitched a little closer and leaned forward to look in my face.

But he nodded, and grinned and hitched again, bringing his face close to my ear, then in a voice husky

he finally yelled right in my ear.

At the marriage of a German prince with an English princess, when the bridegroom said, "With all my worldly

Me, master, years a hundred since from my parents sundered.

Whitman said: "I am jogging along in the old pathway and my old manner, able to be wheeled about some

days and in rainy weather content to stay shut up in my den, where I have society enough in my books

I see a good many actors, who seem to have a fondness for my society. The death of George H.

"Tennyson still writes to me, as do Buchanan and my German friends.

"John Burroughs is my oldest literary friend now living.

I think the dinner my good friends gave me recently, at Morgan's Hall, gave me a new lease of life.

"At least here I am surrounded by my books, and the roses you see my friends send me daily.

Arnold, you are right welcome to my home."

My second wife, you know, was an American lady, and that gives me a claim on your people.

There was no ceremoniousness about my visit to the President, and as a journalist I liked my brief talk

"My young friend you ask me a difficult question.

"I would like to go on record as having a feeling of the utmost friendliness to all my fellow poets.

As to my works, I am in a peculiar position.

My works 'Leaves of Grass,' and my prose work, 'Specimen Days,' are printed and on sale, but still I

As I grow older I become the more confirmed in my adherence to my original theories.

Grant, in which are embodied all my original theories.

Rocky Mountains, three weeks ago, especially the Platte Canon Canyon , I said to myself, 'Here are my

"My idea of one great feature of future American poetry is the expression of comradeship.

couple of thousand miles, and the greatest thing to me in this Western country is the realization of my

How my poems have defined them. I have really had their spirit in every page without knowing.

treated me kindly, and the young people made a great deal of me, but, perhaps, that was on account of my

printing-house, and superintended everything, even the type in which the book was printed, and they made my

"I spent considerable time in New York," he adds, "and a number of weeks on Long Island, my native place

S o many of my good friends are here that I must call it my home."

Wilde came to see me early this afternoon," said Walt, "and I took him up to my den, where we had a jolly

things I said was that I should call him 'Oscar;' 'I like that so much,' he answered, laying his hand on my

the æsthetes, I can only say that you are young and ardent, and the field is wide, and if you want my

My idea is that beauty is a result, not an abstraction."

I am having it printed on my own account. None of the publishers will take my writings.

I was telling a friend the other day that I was beginning to grow proud of always having my writings

My only way is to print the things myself or have them printed in the newspapers.

"So my friends tell me, but I never met him." "Don't you think, Mr.

But renewing the old fires of the rebellion was not to my taste.

I always have enough to supply my daily wants, thanks to my kind friends at home and abroad, and am in

My friends in Great Britain are very kind, and have on several occasions recollected me in little acts

"Regarding the insinuation of my being in want of the necessaries of life, I will state that I make it

You can see for yourself my present condition. Yes, I will say I am not in want.

My health is reasonably good.

Forney asked me to accompany him, and I embraced the opportunity of briefly visiting my brother [Water

Kansas celebration, if I feel as well as now, I shall go out to Denver before I return here to pay my

"Oh, yes; I still write, and this winter shall read my own poems in public and also lecture.

"Oh (smiling), that was my 'Leaves of Grass.'

Yes, I like my present life better—rambling about a little.

"Yes," he said, "this is my first visit, properly speaking, to Canada, although I was at Niagara Falls

comradeship—friendship is the good old word—the love of my fellow-men.

As to the form of my poetry, I have rejected the rhymed and blank verse.

everything of the kind from my books."

I said, 'Perhaps not, my dear, in the way you mean, and yet maybe it is the same thing.'"

I do not trouble my spirit to vindicate itself or be understood.

The six sentences may be a key to those who like me, but say they don't understand my book.

"Give my regards to all the boys in New York city, and don't forget it."

The door was opened in response to my ring by a gentle faced, wistful eyed, elderly woman.

I told him of passages in his writings which I admired and referred particularly to "My Captain," that

bells; But I, with mournful tread, Walk the deck; my captain lies Fallen, cold and dead.

I had outstayed the moments to which I was pledged to limit my visit.

Remember me to all my old friends in New York."

My theory has been to equip, equip, equip, from every quarter, my own power, possibility—through science

But my mind is animated by other ideas.

My parents' folks mostly farmers and sailors—on my father's side of English—on my mother (Van Velsor's

—This year lost, by death, my dear, dear mother—and, just before, my sister Martha—(the two best and

I spent considerable time in New York and a number of weeks on Long Island, my native place.

So many of my good friends are here that I must call it my home.

There are men and women—not here though—who bear my intuition and understand by their hearts.

in his "den" surrounded by a litter of books and papers: "When Osgood wrote me, offering to publish my

I must overlook the work myself and you must humor me in letting me have things my way.'

"It used to be the delight of my life to ride on a stage coach," said he.

There was my friend Jack Finley.

Oh, yes, I was answering your question as to how I spent my time. Well, it is very monotonous.

It has been my effort not to grow querulous in my old age, but to have more faith and gayety of heart

Several of the poems I wrote there if left out of my works would be like losing an eye.

Sometimes I think my Western experiences a force behind my life work.

I think it due to the fact that my work was divided equally among both opposing forces and my poetic

I think I combine that with the spiritualistic inseparately in my books and theories.

As far as my life goes it is written in the past.

For years it was my wish to live long enough to round out my life's story in my little book, 'The Leaves

I continue my work reading or writing to my friends."

as I tried to put it in my books.

It is only the closest student would find it in my works.

"You want to know in a word, then, the sum total of my life philosophy as I have tried to live it and

as I have tried to put it in my books.

It is only the closest student who would find it in my works.

The sum total of my view of life has always been to humbly accept and thank God for whatever inspiration

The table was set for four, and I, the youngest of the party and the sole representative of my sex, had

for my vis-à-vis the ample figure of the poet clad in light gray linen, his wide rolling shirt collar

I mentioned a name that had more than once come to my mind, as we talked,—Victor Hugo.

My companion assented. I added with enthusiasm, "It has been a perfectly happy day to me, Mr.

My last glimpse of him was in his house at Camden, when he was recovering from a long illness.

It is that part of my endeavor which has caused the harshest criticism and prevented candid examination

Still I have gone on adding, building up, persevering, so far as I am able to do, in my original intention

"I am not embittered by my lack of success.

My last volume is in response to the interest of my friends abroad."

Sir Edwin rushed toward him and exclaimed, "My dear friend, I am delighted to see you."

It stirs the cockle of my blood to read the nice things you say of me."

"Have you some of my poetry in your memory?" exclaimed the aged poet.

Chairman Grey delivered the address of welcome, to which the poet responded briefly as follows: "My friends

All I have felt the imperative conviction to say I have already printed in my books of poems or prose

Deeply acknowledging this deep compliment with my best respects and love to you personally—to Camden—to

Give more than my regards to Walt Whitman, who has won such a splendid victory over the granitic pudding-heads

The moment Garfield came over to our side of the car, I gave him my seat and I took his.

"I rode through it to-day with my friend, Senator Armstrong, and went to see my other ancient friend,

I also poid my respects to that most intelligent octogenarian, Mr.

found out the great secret, and I hope to meet their posterity and their friends and followers during my

Lovering," Poet Whitman said, "wrote to me about five weeks ago, saying that my Boston friends wished

Lovering, of the Committee on Pensions, who was favorable to the project, and asking my consent.

It was whilst assisting at a surgical operation that I became poisoned throughout my system, after which

I became prostrated by hospital malaria, which finally caused my paralysis."

I am spry no longer, but my spirits are as high-flown as ever.

Childs as a man whose hand is open as the day, but I never met him more than twice in all my life.

I could do my work much better with ink-blotches about me and a litter around and with a few broken chairs

My feeling towards him is something more than admiration—it partakes of reverence."

"My eyes are feeling pretty badly, and yesterday and to-day I consulted Dr.

I have lost my poise in walking and cannot promenade at all.

I go out every day in my carriage, and a friend of mine, Willie Duckett, a neighbor's little boy, always

I still retain my hopeful, bouyant spirits. I feel better to-night than I have for several days."

My Dear Friend, Tis a long time since I have had the pleasure of hearing from you so I fear you did not

I am getting around quite lively on just a single cane and my health is good.

Now good bye, my good freind and may heaven keep you safe from harm. Anson Ryder, Jun.

My Dear Uncle W, Your very kind letter of the 16th was duly received and appreciated to the best of my

I do not know whether there are any characters among my neighbors that would interest you particular

Wood is with [me] here at my old home says it is not very natural here does not seem at all like an hospital

Bowling Green Febry February 24th 1867 My Dear Friend I was thinking to day today whether I had answered

good berth in Tennessee but being of a modest disposition of course I cannot call his attention to my

This is my excuse for profering proffering this request and I entertain the hope that you will graciously

That he obtained your goods & service under false pretenses is perfectly certain to my mind .

would let me have some property which he had no earthly use for viz some books which had once been in my

private library a $150 bookcase which had been in my library 5 or 6 years before I thought of going

pay you $200.00 (just what was due Dec 1st '74) In another place he binds himself to carry out all my

I have done for 3 or 4 years, day & night & sunday, to get justice out of this fellow for myself & my

But as I did not receive an answer from you, and thinking that my letter miscarried, I concluded to write

My dear old friend Mr. Whitman So many years have passed since we last saw each other.

that you remember me , and the old home on M.Street —and the dear old "Cherry Tree" " where you and my

Sevellon Brown, Sackett my son were there also.

Although many years have passed since you lived at my house and many changes have come to us, still,

hope this may reach you, it would give me a great deal of pleasure to know that you remember me and my

I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines . . . my own master total and absolute" (section

"[u]nfolded only out of the inimitable poems of woman can come the poems of man, (only thence have my

milieu.For thirty-four lines thereafter the persona becomes the ambulatory wound-dresser, moving among "my

bandages, water, and sponge" (section 2), he attends each soldier "with impassive hand, (yet deep in my

In the afterlife, the soul's immaterial body, "transcending my senses and flesh . . . finally loves,

the third (1860) edition, "Starting from Paumanok," announced Whitman's intention to "make poems of my

body and of mortality . . . of my soul and of immortality" (section 6).

In "Scented Herbage of My Breast" and "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" the poet searches for words

with minor masterpieces of affecting readiness for death: "After the Supper and Talk" and "Good-Bye my

dog's snout" (section 2), a "milk-nosed maggot" (section 2), and other loathsome visages—that they are "my

—They retard my book very much" (Correspondence 1:44).

In 1954 my own L'Evolution de Walt Whitman après la première édition des "Feuilles d'herbe" offered to

(It has been hailed with enthusiasm by reviewers, though is is less faithful to the text than my own.

I have lost my wits . . . I and nobody else am the greatest traitor . . .

You villain touch, what are you doing . . . my breath is tight in its throat; Unclench your floodgates

My soul! . . . My ties and ballasts leave me . . . I travel, I sail.