Talk:Walt Whitman

Not attempting a biography here

People seem to be obsessed with analyzing Whitman's life. That is done so extensively elsewhere that I have not even attempted it here. Instead, I included a couple of short excerpts of his writing, because there is so much verbiage about Whitman that people may not have had a chance simply to read the work he left behind to be read. I'm of the opinion that his work would stand as valuable even if one knows absolutely nothing about the man or the life he lived. Pat Palmer (talk) 21:09, 22 September 2020 (UTC)

A perfect short poem is rare, and Whitman made one

I've spent a fair amount of time reading Leaves of Grass, and I don't consider it to be easy for mainstream readers. I included in this article some brief examples of Whitman writing. The short poem 'A Noiseless Patient Spider' is on a par with the greatest short poems in the world, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's lyrical 'Wanderer's Nightsong II' (Über allen Gipfeln), considered one of the best poems ever written in German:Pat Palmer (talk) 18:10, 20 September 2020 (UTC)

Über allen Gipfeln
Ist Ruh,
In allen Wipfeln
Spürest du
Kaum einen Hauch;
Die Vögelein schweigen im Walde.
Warte nur, balde
Ruhest du auch.

O'er all the hilltops
Is quiet now,
In all the treetops
Hearest thou
Hardly a breath;
The birds are asleep in the trees:
Wait, soon like these
Thou too shalt rest. (H. W. Longfellow, translator)

Recommendation

For anyone reading Leaves of Grass, I recommend skipping any introduction provided by a third party and going straight to the text written by Whitman. Most paperback and hardcopy editions I've seen come with long-winded intros that really add nothing. If you must read them, read them after you've read the text. Otherwise, it will be like seeing a movie when someone told you spoilers, and also, their opinions will likely color your own reaction.Pat Palmer (talk) 10:00, 19 October 2022 (CDT)