Minor Prophecy: Walt Whitman's New American ReligionMany of Walt Whitman's earliest readers hailed him as a religious prophet. For them, Leaves of Grass was more than literary art; it was sacred scripture. Recent scholarship has, however, dismissed those early enthusiasts as naive, if not crazy. David Kuebrich's new study of Whitman corrects that academic oversight by giving the early Whitmanites their due as the critics who most clearly perceived the nature and purpose of the poet's labors—to begin a new religion. Kuebrich's thorough, intelligent study, based squarely on textual evidence, offers a revisionist interpretation of America's great poet, returning religious vision and spirituality to the center of Whitman studies. |
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... never enjoyed aright till you see how a sand exhibiteth the power and wisdom of God . " " Whitman wished to lead his readers to this sacramental vision of the world . He would unite the souls of his readers with the creation : When the ...
... never deride myself ! ( O conscience - struck ! O self - convicted ! ) Or as if I do not secretly love strangers ! ( O tenderly , a long time , and never avow it ; ) Or as if I did not see , perfectly well , interior in myself , the ...
... never fully aware of his homo- sexuality . Accordingly , the recurring homosexual motif in his poetry is often the product of unconscious activity ; and even when this dimension of his sexu- ality sometimes became partially conscious ...
Contents
Reconsidering Whitmans Intention | 1 |
A New Religion | 12 |
Interpreting Historys Meaning | 27 |
Copyright | |
8 other sections not shown