One of the Greatest Poems in American Literature Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was considered by many to be one of the most important American poets of all time. He had a profound influence on all those who came after him. “Song of Myself”, a portion of Whitman’s monumental poetry collection “Leaves of Grass”, is one of his most beloved poems. It was through this moving piece that Whitman first made himself known to the world. One of the most acclaimed of all American poems, it is written in Whitman’s signature free verse style, without a regular form, meter, or rhythm. His lines have a mesmerizing chant-like quality, as he sought to make poetry more appealing. Few poems are as fun to read aloud as this one. Considered to be the core of his poetic vision, this poem is an optimistic and inspirational look at the world in 1855. It is exhilarating, epic, and fresh in its brilliant and fascinating diction and wordplay as it tries to capture the unique meaning of words of the day, while also embracing the rapidly evolving vocabularies of the sciences and the streets. Far ahead of its time, it was considered by many social conservatives to be scandalous and obscene for its depiction of sexuality and desire, while at the same time, critics hailed the poem as a modern masterpiece. This first version of “Song of Myself” is far superior to the later versions and will delight readers with the playfulness of its diction as it glorifies the self, body, and soul. “I am large, I contain multitudes,”

2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST FOR POETRY Eschewing series and performative typography, Douglas Kearney’s Sho aims to hit crooked licks with straight-seeming sticks. Navigating the complex penetrability of language, these poems are sonic in their espousal of Black vernacular traditions, while examining histories, pop culture, myth, and folklore. Both dazzling and devastating, Sho is a genius work of literary precision, wordplay, farce, and critical irony. In his “stove-like imagination,” Kearney has concocted poems that destabilize the spectacle, leaving looky-loos with an important uncertainty about the intersection between violence and entertainment.

An intelligent introduction to this famous poem, including contextual information, an overview of critical reception and critical extracts, key passages with commentary and annotation, and the poem in its full 'final' 1881 edition.

This is a work of poetic reflections, on the world, Self, and Reality. In short, these are mystical poems. They are offered to all people, irrespective of their race, caste, creed, color, and gender, thereby hoping to persuade all people to engage in the quest for self-knowledge and hence of ultimate reality. The main goal and purpose of these poems is to enable every reader to attain transcendence. Even if this work is moderately successful in this endeavor, the author will have been more than rewarded. The author greatly appreciates all the scientists, philosophers, and religious thinkers, who so generously gave their time and talent to read these poems and give their most valuable suggestions and reflections. These are not ordinary poems, but those requiring deep thought and introspection. All people who are in quest of their true Self will find these poems most rewarding. The author is most grateful to Professor Arthur Herman, a great Sanskritist and Indic thinker, for deeming this work worthy of his Foreword.