Whitman is today regarded as Americas Homer or Dante & his work the touchstone for literary originality in the New World. In Leaves of Grass he abandoned the rules of traditional poetry
- breaking the standard metred line discarding the obligatory rhyming scheme & using the vernacular. Emily Dickinson condemned his sexual & physiological allusions as disgraceful but Emerson saw the book as the most extraordinary piece of wit & wisdom that America has yet contributed. A century later it is his judgement of this autobiographical vision of the vigour of the American nation that has proved the more enduring. This is the most up-to-date edition for student use with full critical apparatus. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford Worlds Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxfords commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more.