"from Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman (poetry reading)

The first two sections of Walt Whitman's seminal poem. Whitman sees himself in everything and everything in himself becoming what he observes, the "kosmos".

There's a good full reading here by various readers - I prefer James:
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/leavesofgrass/book/index.html

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• Myself
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[paperbullet1945]

Wikipedia has a sound recording of someone reading parts of Whitman's poem "America", thought to be the poet himself, on the "Leaves of Grass" page. He sounds like he's reading a list or something, not a poem.

On another note, it also says that the title "Leaves of Grass" is a pun; "leaves" referring to leaves of paper (as in loose-leaf), and "grass" being publisher slang for a work of minor value.

[SpokenVerse]

@paperbullet1945 Whitman makes many references in the poem to grass, which is a symbol of the cycle of life to him, and it seems he spent much of his life lying on grass "the beautiful uncut hair of graves" He says,"I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love".

He did have to pay for publication because they were unwilling to print it, at first and later too. I would guess that "leaves of grass" was a publishers' joke and not his intention when choosing the title.

[paperbullet1945]

Which edition is this?

[SpokenVerse]

@paperbullet1945 In the first edition, 1855, the first line is "I celebrate myself" The words "and sing myself" appear in later editions. I am not aware of any other changes to this part.

[aaron19840904]

thanks for posting.... i love walt whitman ... and your voice is great .

[handsom02]

great voice you have gentleman...

i loved it and also check his paradise lost uploads

[vickiehill1]

I sat with my eyes closed & let the words create a video in my mind. ...It was wonderful.

[KingMinosxxvi]

this is the best reading on you tube by far

[caiocfp]

Thank you for uploading this and congratulations for the awesome reading.

[moonman709]

Fantastic!

[RIVERMILLO]

@SpokenVerse from argentina, very far from where you are, i found your recordings excellent, you put the magic of the book in my ears, thanks



[RIVERMILLO]

@SpokenVerse from argentina, very far from where you are, i found your recordings excellent, you put the magic of the book in my ears, thanks

[TSM8088]

"Song of Myself"  I consider a staple and an anthem ..like bread and water for the soul.

Thanks Uncle Walt

[Pepe136]

Me celebro y me canto a mí mismo. Y lo que yo diga ahora de mí, lo digo de ti, ...porque lo que yo tengo lo tienes tú y cada átomo de mi cuerpo es tuyo también. Vago... e invito a vagar a mi alma. Vago y me tumbo a mi antojo sobre la tierra para ver cómo crece la hierba del estío. Mi lengua y cada molécula de mi sangre nacieron aquí, de esta tierra y de estos vientos. Me engendraron padres que nacieron aquí, de padres que engendraron otros padres que nacieron aquí,