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smudgy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
jeanwatts's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
I hate poetry but I loved this - the examination of life and relation to nature, how we all are connected, how we die but are not truly gone. It is an amazing look at Whitman’s life but also humanity. This was a fun reread this afternoon. I greatly enjoyed this and find comfort in it.
perco_tempo's review
5.0
A poem that describes the American spirit, not the American dream nor the American way of life, but the American Spirit, with nature, diversity, tolerance, freedom and above all one's individual power in a society of individuals.
arcticskua's review against another edition
4.0
RIP Walt Whitman you would have loved sad TikTok slideshows
cimoore1999's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
lillianviolinist's review
4.0
Very American. I enjoyed imagining how this poetry must have been received by the more conservative 19th century. Engaging. Perfect reading for a pandemic I think
ckpeebler's review
4.0
listening to this via audiobook was like sitting in on someone's fever dream. appreciated the part god complex and part gender crisis. stars for positive outlook on humanity, our bonds that tie us together, and for writing the first self love help book.
ruxandra_grr's review
3.0
Started reading this a little bit before my 37th birthday (because someone had read a bit of this in a Zoom call and I heard that Whitman mentions he is 37), finished it almost 3 months later while listening to it being read. There was a lot I loved about this, the way it speaks about interconnectedness, sensuality, being in your body, not being measured because a person is a limitless universe spawning themself every second, growing more, loved the self-sovereignty aspects, the philosophical of: we change each other through love and knowing each other and all that.
At the same time, I cannot take this out of context. It does reify some sort of American entrepreneurship, conquering, 'specialness'. And also, he does say he is every man and woman and um slave, but at the same time, he was not because he was afforded the privilege of being a white man in that world and so, while I appreciate the ideal, it still felt unsatisfactory to not have that acknowledged.
Some part of this poem did soar for me and made me feel things so that was nice.
At the same time, I cannot take this out of context. It does reify some sort of American entrepreneurship, conquering, 'specialness'. And also, he does say he is every man and woman and um slave, but at the same time, he was not because he was afforded the privilege of being a white man in that world and so, while I appreciate the ideal, it still felt unsatisfactory to not have that acknowledged.
Some part of this poem did soar for me and made me feel things so that was nice.