Walt Whitman

Format:

Book

Title:

Walt Whitman

Author:

Reef, Catherine.

ISBN:

9780395687055

9780618246168

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

148 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Contents:

Flood-tide -- Flashes and specks -- First-rate loafer -- Simmering -- So many uttering tongues -- Year of forebodings -- Soldiers' missionary -- Black, black, black -- Backward glances -- Nightfall.

Summary:

Walt Whitman lived in 19th century America; his poems and life reflect the changes which occured in that era.

Personal Subject:

Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892-Juvenile literature.

Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892.

Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892. (OCoLC)fst00039575

Subject(s):

Poets, American -- 19th century -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Dallas Public Library	+ 921 W59	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	921 WHITMAN, WALT	Searching... Unknown

Catherine Reef's fascinating, in-depth biography explores the life and character of one of America's greatest poets, incorporating highlights from his writings and photographs of the poet and the America he experienced. In "Leaves of Grass," first published in 1855, Whitman's innovative, free poetic style celebrated nineteenth-century America and himself as one of its citizens. His poems captured the spirit of a time when cities grew rapidly, pioneers and railroads crossed the Great Plains,and the Civil War nearly tore the nation apart. This book combines detailed historical information with Whitman's optimism, love for humanity, and pure joy in living.

Author Notes

Catherine Reef received a degree in English from Washington State University. She began her career as a writer at Washington State, where she created brochures for the College of Pharmacy and developed the university's first research magazine. She is the author of more than 35 nonfiction books for young people. She has received several awards including the Joan G. Sugarman Children's Book Award for Walt Whitman in 1996, the Sydney Taylor Award for Sigmund Freud: Pioneer of the Mind in 2002, and a Golden Kite Honor Award for Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life in 2010.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (5)

Publisher's Weekly Review

"Even readers already familiar with Whitman (1819-1892) will find much to ponder in this forthright biography enhanced with 70 photographs and engravings," wrote PW. "His poems are thoughtfully quoted, interpreted and placed in the context of biographical events." Ages 4-up. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Horn Book Review

Handsomely produced with ample margins, an inviting typeface, and clear reproductions of old photographs, the thoughtfully composed introduction to Whitman's work and life neither sensationalizes nor diminishes the controversial aspects of his oeuvre. Carefully selected quotations are integrated into the narrative to demonstrate his sources of inspiration, his style, and his relationship to the momentous changes wrought by the industrialization of America. Bib., ind. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 7-12. With a bright, open design and lots of photographs and contemporary prints, this biography will draw young people to the great nineteenth-century poet who sang of himself and of America. The writing is somewhat choppy, but Reef gives a strong sense of Whitman's free spirit and his involvement in the crucial events of his time, from the Civil War to the building of the railroads. She shows that Whitman's joyful physicality was often a challenge to the rigid norms of the time and discusses his lasting influence in opening up American poetry to the stories and rhythms of ordinary people in the countryside and the bustling cities of a democracy. --Hazel Rochman

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-9This vivid, straightforward biography draws heavily on poetry and reminiscences to establish Whitman as the rebel poet whose robust free verse and unorthodox themes offended Victorian sensibilities, but greatly influenced American literature. Reef discusses significant events in her subject's life and traces the publishing history of his masterpiece, Leaves of Grass. Emphasis is placed on the Civil War years, a time when Whitman served as a battlefield nurse and wrote some of his most memorable poems. As his character emerges, readers view a man dominated by a strong democratic spirit and an abiding love for all humanity, characteristics readily discernible in both his poetry and prose. While most biographers circumvent Whitman's homosexuality, Reef addresses the issue openly, though briefly. The flowing text is at times lyrically descriptive. Many of the 70 black-and-white reproductions and photographs document the dramatic changes in Whitman's appearance over the years. The volume is well indexed. This title differs markedly from Nancy Loewen's Walt Whitman (Creative Editions, 1994), which is a combination of poetry, biographical vignettes, and photo-history. An absorbing, honest, and highly informative portrait.Pat Katka, San Diego Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A handsome and affectionate biography, full of quotes from Whitman's poetry and prose, b&w photographs of him and his contemporaries, paintings and etchings of their world, and reproductions of Whitman's handwriting. A poet who lived his life with biographers in mind, the man is a rewarding subject: His personality is a window both into his poetry and into US history. Reef provides balance between these two aspects, linking literary criticism (interpreting Whitman's poems and ideas, looking at their reception, and explaining their significance in light of their contemporary poetry) to history (descriptions of New York City in the 1830s40s, and the US of the mid-19th century, particularly the Civil War)--and framing both in an evocative, overarching portrait of the charismatic personality that ``contained multitudes.'' Reef is a wise, steady narrator, and ever solicitous toward readers, weaving lyrical, analytical, and psychological curlicues around the straightforward chronology of Whitman's life, moving around him, looking at him from different distances; the text never flags. On top of all this, the photographs provide as rich a documentation as anyone could wish for of the growth and graying of Whitman's beard. (bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 9+)

Chapter 1 The Flood-Tide	p. 1
Chapter 2 Flashes and Specks	p. 7
Chapter 3 A First-Rate Loafer	p. 17
Chapter 4 Simmering	p. 35
Chapter 5 So Many Uttering Tongues	p. 49
Chapter 6 Year of Forebodings	p. 61
Chapter 7 Soldiers' Missionary	p. 75
Chapter 8 Black, Black, Black	p. 95
Chapter 9 Backward Glances	p. 111
Chapter 10 Nightfall	p. 129
Selected Bibliography	p. 139
Picture Credits	p. 141
Index	p. 143

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