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"The sea-wind & the sea Made all my soul in me A song for ever!"

by the way, to say that a note has come to say a package (of portraits presumably) from you, awaits my

I shall be able now to get on with my article for the 'Scottish Art Review' as soon as I am back in town

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

substantial volume—not that I am overwhelmed or even entirely satisfied by it, but as I had not put my

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

Glendale a longish letter wh' I want you to have, as it is meant as much for you —I have finished all my

good oak fire—Am still imprison'd in the sick room—Keep up spirits pretty fair, but weak as ever in my

friends from seeing me)—& for a month or so I was in a horrible plight—a nuisance to myself & all—but my

here in the room—Mrs Davis has just been in & wishes to send her love to you, & says come up & see us—my

is well, & seems to be well off & satisfied—young Harry Bonsall died there three or four weeks ago—my

sisters at Greenport L I and Burlington Vermont are ab't as usual—my brother & sister Lou are well at

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

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

have—shall send you some more as I shall have some more in a day or two—(S[arrazin] takes 'em all down in my

send the card of Mrs: O'C[onnor], just rec'd —gloomy prospect enough—Nothing new with me—have just had my

and bladder troubles and fearful weakness of ten weeks ago—At present I am sitting by the oak fire in my

T. has been and is invaluable to me—my books are all printed etc.

Feb: 8 '89 Am thinking a good deal ab't you to-day—have rec'd the card N[elly] sent & it has rous'd my

tho't's & sympathies greatly—Nothing new or special in my condition— Love to you & N— Walt Whitman Walt

People who know absolutely nothing of his writing, either prose or verse, who have not read even "O Captain

, My Captain," do not hesitate to assail him, to excoriate him, to blackguard him with a vehemence which

I will also want my utterances to be in spirit poems of the morning.

I have wished to put the complete union of the states in my songs without any preference or partiality

Then the simile of my friend, John Burroughs, is entirely true, 'his glove is a glove of silk, but the

afternoon Feb: 10 '89 Hope you have as fine & sunny a day in Wash'n as we are having here—Send you my

I am still confined to the room & chair—eat & drink moderately—my meals mostly mutton-broth with bits

badly off—worse—& I am much worried ab't him—he is laid up, mainly bed fast, in his house—very bad, at my

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

My Captain!" For further information on Whitman's views of Lowell, see William A.

this)—the last date fixed by Dr B starting hither was 18th (next Monday)—Ab't as usual with me—(but my

O'C's condition & every thing relating to him —(a good strong man nurse he evidently needs at once—my

Of course I make no response— Things nearly the same—not one even of my tolerable days—my head is uncomfortable

substantial volume—not that I am overwhelmed or even entirely satisfied by it, but as I had not put my

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

My Captain!" For further information on Whitman's views of Lowell, see William A.

328 Mickle Street Camden N J p m Feb: 14 '89 Y'r card came yesterday—Rolleston has rec'd in Ireland my

I hear from Dr Bucke often, he expects to come here next week—my friend O'Connor is very ill at Washington

February 15, 1889 Am sitting by the oak fire all day—no visitors or letters—but sort o' get along with my

papers & books—Kennedy, Boston, sends kindest inquiries ab't you with sympathy & greeting—My friend

well considering but rigorously imprison'd in the sick room—good heart but entirely disabled—printing 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

along fairly—physicalities &c. from fair to middling for an old man & whack'd & paralyzed at that— My

My life now seems very pale & poor compared with those days.

which I derive any satisfaction, Julian & that bit of land up there on the river bank where I indulge my

is developing into a very happy, intelligent boy, full of enthusiasms, full of curiosity, & is about my

I hope I can see my way to go to W again to see him. I shall not stay here in P. much longer.

Two prose pieces which appeared there under the titles "My Book and I" and "How I made a Book" are now

He said once to my father, 'They talk of the devil—I tell thee, Walter, there is no worse devil than

noon Feb: 24 '89 Sitting here by the oak fire dawdling over the Sunday's Tribune and the Phil: Press —my

last three days & nights—nothing very new—sunny & very cold here—some strangely favorable notices ab't 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!"

thanked Walt Whitman for the copy of Complete Poems & Prose, and expressed his "admiration . . . with all my

love for one I considered, from my first reading of him, as one of the best and the greatest men of

called up on us with her Sister. she said was acquainted with your brothers family. her Sister lived in my

I got your Picture on Broadway near 28 st for my Friend Mrs Edward Smith the head of the C lothing Firm

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.

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

Whitman tells us, "Ever since what might be call'd thought, or the budding of thought, fairly began in my

I felt it all as positively then in my young days as I do now in my old ones; to formulate a poem whose

My book ought to emanate buoyancy and gladness legitimately enough, for it was grown out of those elements

, and has been the comfort of my life since it was originally commenced."

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

"'Leaves of Grass' indeed (I cannot too often reiterate) has mainly been the outcropping of my own emotional

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

regard for you (to help us) but I did not write—one grows desperate under difficulties you know, and my

London To 2 d March '89 My dear Walt Whitman, During the past day or two I have been arranging your portraits

between the lines, feeling all the time as if I can still see you in your great arm-chair—as during my

It is this impression that I must try to convey as far as may be in my article in the S. A.

So my instinct for life & the open road grows stronger every day. "Right Jack Health!"

I believe I told you that my sister Edith was with me here.

Camden March 3 '89 Am feeling better all day from the encouraging & sunny news my young friend Horace

H T will send hence (March 4) two copies of my big book by express, one for you & one for Nelly —yours

Mar 4. 1889 My dear Sir.

This, & this alone must be my excuse for adding another needless letter to your overburdened table.

Grass," the poems entitled "For You O Democracy," p. 99, "the Singer in the Prison," p. 292, and "O Captain

, My Captain," p. 262—or, in lieu of the first two, the poem called "Pioneers!

listed 89th in the table of contents along with the following four works: "Greatness in Poetry," "O Captain

My Captain!

My dear Poet: I spent last evening in fighting for you, in reading you, and, in a feeble way, expounding

up the balance, and that moreover, adulation would as soon turn the head of Moosilanke Moosilauke , my

My friend Baxter sent us his copy of your big book with notes, one or two, from you, pasted in.

I send you my heartiest wishes for the prolongation of your noble life in content and in as great a measure

big books by this time—I can hardly tell why, but feel very positively that if any thing can justify my

Camden, N.J., March 7, 1889 I am still quite bodily helpless—imprison'd the same in my 2d story sick

And, now, will you be kind enough to send me one more set, for a lady, to whom I have just shewn my set

Bliss , rectory Episcopal church—he expressed great sympathy for me; in my straitend circumstances, and

placed a 5 dollar bill, in my hand, as he has done once before, this winter, which got me 1/2 ton of

I would much rather paint, could I sell my pictures.

(Some few of my most determined friends & understanders appear to be in Boston)—Rather dull with me to-day

or ambition to articulate and faithfully express in literary and poetic form, and uncompromisingly, 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

Difficult as it will be, it has become, in my opinion, imperative to achieve a shifted attitude from

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

was better three days ago, but weak & in bed—Dr B[ucke] here yet— I sit here alone same as ever, in my

Things with me abt same—I sit here in my big chair alone most of the time, as ever, same old monotonous

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

My dear Friend: Since our conversation this morning it seems to me that there is a desire to get the

I feel the matter so deeply that I have put my thoughts on paper, and now enclose them.

Night before last I hardly slept any, & as a consequence am not able to use my eyes next day.

Find my folk all well and the asylum in good shape—a lot of work had accumulated which it will take a

immensely valuable and that we shall eventually carry our plans through—the only subject of regret on my

proof reading, big house)— Dull times with me—constipation & inertia at the fore, & both big—have had my

Toward sunset Had a good thorough bath this afternoon, hot water—my "cold" has not altogether withdrawn—I

day—I almost envy your having such lots to do, responsibilities & strong & well & energetic to do 'em—My

lassitude is one of the worst points in my condition—but whether Sidney Morse's man's answer (when reproach'd

probably say)—Well I will adjust myself for dinner, & hope you & Mrs B & all are having good times—& send my

s article) but my copy has not the picture (very bad one by the way) [/] I am a little sorry therefore