The poetry of Walt Whitman is the cornerstone of modern American verse. He was Americas first truly great poet and his influence is still evident today. The first edition of Whitmans Leaves of Grass, published in 1855, was a revolutionary manifesto declaring Americas independence from European cultural domination. His rhapsodic free verse broke radically with poetic, tradition: it was poetry about America, its democracy, its people, and its hopes. It was uniquely American without apology--brash, proud, optimistic, and filled with the bustling energy of the new and growing nation. This collection brings together Whitmans greatest and most famous poems spanning the whole of his career. From the groundbreaking first edition of Leaves of Grass are seven poems, including Song of Myself and I Sing the Body Electric. From later editions there are such masterpieces as Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking, and I Hear America Singing. Also included is Whitmans great cycle of Civil War Poems, Drum-Taps, which he wrote in the months when he was ministering to the wounded in battlefield hospitals. Concluding this collection is one of his last poems, Good-bye My Fancy!--his touching farewell to his muse, his life, and his readers. More than one hundred years after his death, Walt Whitmans poetry has become part of the American heritage. It is a visionary which speaks as aptly to readers today as it will to future generations. As he says in Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, others...look back on me because I lookd forward to them. Whitmans poetry is a link that connects all Americans--past, present, and future. This book features a deluxe cover, ribbon marker, top stain, and decorative endpaper with a nameplate.