Walt Whitman in Context

Provides readings, interpretations, and explorations of Whitman in the many contexts through which he charted his life and wrote his texts.

Joanna Levin (Edited by), Edward Whitley (Edited by)

9781108418959, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 May 2018

450 pages, 9 b/w illus.
23.5 x 15.7 x 2.5 cm, 0.87 kg

Walt Whitman is a poet of contexts. His poetic practice was one of observing, absorbing, and then reflecting the world around him. Walt Whitman in Context provides brief, provocative explorations of thirty-eight different contexts - geographic, literary, cultural, and political - through which to engage Whitman's life and work. Written by distinguished scholars of Whitman and nineteenth-century American literature and culture, this collection synthesizes scholarly and historical sources and brings together new readings and original research.

Part I. Locations: 1. Long Island William T. Walter
2. Brooklyn and Manhattan Karen Karbiener
3. Camden and Philadelphia William Pannapacker
4. Washington, DC Kenneth M. Price
5. The American South Matt Cohen
Part II. Literary and Artistic Contexts: 6. Verse forms Michael C. Cohen
7. Periodical poetry Ingrid I. Satelmajer
8. Periodical fiction Stephanie Blalock
9. Journalism Jason Stacy
10. Oratory Leslie Eckel
11. Opera Carmen Trammell Skaggs
12. Performance and celebrity David Haven Blake
13. Visual arts and photography Ruth Bohan
14. Erotica Paul Erickson
15. Notebooks and manuscripts Matt Miller
16. Bookmaking Nicole Gray
17. The literary marketplace David Dowling
18. Transatlantic book distribution Jessica DeSpain
Part III. Cultural and Political Contexts: 19. Transcendentalism Regina Schober
20. Philosophy Stephen John Mack
21. Bohemianism Joanna Levin and Edward Whitley
22. Gender Maire Mullins
23. Sexuality Jay Grossman
24. Politics Kerry Larson
25. Imperialism and globalization Walter Grünzweig
26. Nineteenth-century religion Brian Yothers
27. Civil War Peter Coviello
28. Reconstruction Martin Buinicki
29. Death and mourning Adam Bradford
30. Slavery and abolition Ivy G. Wilson
31. Native American and immigrant cultures Rachel Rubinstein
32. The rank and file Jerome Loving
33. Romanticism Edward S. Cutler
34. The natural world Christine Gerhardt
35. Science and medicine Lindsay Tuggle
Part IV. Reception and Legacy: 36. Disciples Michael Robertson
37. Influence in the United States Sascha Pöhlmann
38. Impact on the World Ed Folsom.

Subject Areas: Literary reference works [DSR], Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers [DSK], Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF]