100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Fast overnight NZ delivery 🚀 Don't forget Father's Day is this Sunday 📅

Walt Whitman

A glorious collection from one of America’s best-loved and controversial poets
By Walt Whitman
Series: The Great Poets
0.0 (0 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
From the highly controversial Leaves of Grass, with its overt sexual imagery and delight in sensual pleasures, to the iconic poem Captain, oh my captain immortalised in the film Dead Poets Society, this short collection offers an ideal introduction to the poetry of Walt Whitman. Widely considered the father of free verse, Whitman was celebrated both during his lifetime and beyond. His work reflects his experiences during the American Civil War, where he cared for the wounded, and his legacy was honoured with a public funeral in 1892. As modernist poet Ezra Pound famously said, Whitman "is America".
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

An essential read for lovers of poetry, students of American literature, and anyone interested in 19th-century cultural history.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The perfect introduction to one of the most influential American poets - includes the controversial 'Leaves of Grass'

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From the highly controversial Leaves of Grass, with its overt sexual imagery and delight of sensual pleasures, to the iconic Captain, oh my captain immortalised in the film Dead Poets Society, this short collection is the ideal introduction to the poetry of Walt Whitman.

One of the greats, he was celebrated both during his lifetime and ever since - he is widely considered to be the father of free verse. During the American Civil War, he worked in hospitals caring for the wounded, and his own funeral in 1892 was a public event.

In the words of the modernist poet Ezra Pound, Walt Whitman was 'America's poet . . . he is America'.

Series: The Great Poets

View all
  • Walt Whitman
    From the highly controversial Leaves of Grass, with its overt sexual imagery and delight of sensual pleasures, to the iconic Captain, oh my captain immortalised in the film Dead Poets Society, this short collection is the ideal introduction to the poetry of Walt Whitman. One of the greats, he was celebrated both during his lifetime and ever since - he...
    By Walt Whitman
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Rupert Brooke & Wilfred Owen
    Rupert Brooke & Wilfred Owen
    If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. From The Soldier to Anthem for Doomed Youth, Rupert Brooke and Wilfred Owen are two of the best-loved poets from the heroic lost generation of the First World War. Brooke's work was well-known before the war, with the...
    By Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke
    Paperback
    $4900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Emily Dickinson
    Emily Dickinson
    American poet Emily Dickinson is revered around the world and influenced many feminist artists and writers. Her work is some of the best known and most quoted or adapted: 'Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all' - Emily Dickinson Dickinson received a very good...
    By Emily Dickinson
    Paperback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • William Blake
    William Blake
    ‘To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hands, and eternity in an hour’ - William Blake William Blake was a poet and artist. Born in Soho in the eighteenth century, the son of a shopkeeper, he is now acclaimed as a radical left-field...
    By William Blake
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Samuel Taylor Coleridge
    One of the highly praised Lakeland poets, alongside his friend William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a founder of the Romantic movement in England. His work—still popular today—includes such classics as The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan, as well as the beautiful early poem Frost at Midnight: 'Or if the secret ministry of frost, Shall hang them...
    By Samuel Taylor Coleridge
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways' Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a poet of passion, wit and conscience. She was also a woman who wrote to speak the truth about everything she knew - and she knew just what it was like to be a thinking woman in a society that wanted women to be weak. The...
    By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Jane Austen
    Another world must be unfurled, Another language known Best known – and beloved – for her highly popular novels including Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen was also an accomplished, and often witty, poet: I am going to have my dinner, after which I shan't be thinner This collection, which also includes poems by the poets...
    By n/a Jane Austen
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
    Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
    The best-loved, bestselling poem ever published - a poem that embraces the theme 'seize the moment' 'One thing is certain, that Life flies; One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies' The epic, beautiful poem Rubaiyat is widely attributed to Omar Khayyam. As much a philosopher as a poet, he was a Persian astronomer, who praised the beauties of...
    By Omar Khayyam
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Brontes: Selected Poems
    The Brontë sisters' lives and works have become modern-day cultural touchstones. Emily Brontë, best known for her novel Wuthering Heights, began writing poetry first and, before her untimely death, wrote some of the most touching and emotive poems which often reflected the landscape of her Yorkshire home. Charlotte Brontë, whose novel Jane Eyre has had numerous TV and film adaptations,...
    By Charlotte Brontë and Emily Brontë and Anne Bronte
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Robert Burns
    Robert Burns
    Oh would some power the gift give us, to see ourselves as others see us! Robert Burns Robert Burns, poet and lyricist, also known as Rabbie Burns, is widely regarded as the National Poet of Scotland. Much of his work has become part of everyday modern language: The best laid schemes o' mice and men... To see her is to...
    By Robert Burns
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • W. B. Yeats
    Tread softly because you tread on my dreams is one of the most well-known and repeated lines of poetry ever written. Less haunting, but still so relevant: Life is a long preparation for something that never happens. W. B. Yeats was one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. Winner of a Nobel prize, he was also a political...
    By W.B. Yeats
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Alfred, Lord Tennyson
    Alfred, Lord Tennyson
    Tennyson was one of the true great Victorian poets—much of his work is known throughout the world: 'Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die' 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all' His genius is expressed through the precision and delicacy of the language of his lyrical poems. Some of...
    By Lord Alfred Tennyson
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781399614139

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 September 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 122g

Pages: 128

Collections

Arts & Culture Best Sellers at Book Hero Classic Poetry In Stock Arts & Culture Books In Stock Books Non-Fiction Poetry Series: The Great Poets Walt Whitman

About the Author

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was born on Long Island and had a variety of occupations, including journalism, printing and teaching, before publishing Leaves Of Grass in 1855, which was highly praised by Waldo Emerson. He helped nurse the wounded in the American Civil War, and was recognised as a major poet before his death.

Also by Walt Whitman

View all
  • On Sale
    18% off
    The Complete Poems
    In 1855, Walt Whitman published Leaves of Grass, the work which defined him as one of America's most influential voices, and which he added to throughout his life. A collection of astonishing originality and intensity, it spoke of politics, sexual emancipation and what it meant to be an American. From the joyful Song of Myself and I Sing the Body...
    By Walt Whitman
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3700
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    14% off
    Leaves of Grass
    A collectible new Penguin Classics series offers beautiful, slim, clothbound editions of ten favourite poets. In 1855, Walt Whitman published his first collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. The volume received great praise from leading Transcendentalist poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This encouragement led to what would become a lifelong project, as Whitman expanded and rewrote the volume until his death...
    By Walt Whitman
    Hardback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Leaves of Grass
    HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey work of the stars… First published in 1855, and edited, revised and expanded over thirty years, Leaves of Grass has become one of the most celebrated poetry collections in the history of American literature. A master...
    By Walt Whitman
    Paperback
    $1299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Leaves of Grass
    Leaves of Grass
    A celebration of democracy, nature, and the human soul, Walt Whitman's poetry returns in a deluxe collector's edition that captures the voice of a nation and the spirit of individuality that continues to inspire the world. First published in 1855, Leaves of Grass redefined poetry and gave America its literary soul. This deluxe hardbound edition presents Whitman's complete and evolving...
    By Walt Whitman
    Hardback
    $3800
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Leaves of Grass (Signature Editions)
    Leaves of Grass (Signature Editions)
    Walt Whitman's seminal poetry collection celebrating life, nature, philosophy, and spirituality, now repackaged for Union Square and Co.'s Signature Editions series. Leaves of Grass is a poetry collection by the American poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892). Though the first edition was published in 1855, Whitman spent his entire life writing and re-writing Leaves of Grass, revising it in several editions until...
    By Walt Whitman
    Paperback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Live Oak, with Moss
    Live Oak, with Moss
    As he was turning forty, Walt Whitman wrote twelve poems in a small handmade book he entitled Live Oak, with Moss. The poems were intensely private reflections on his attraction to and affection for other men. They were also Whitman's most adventurous explorations of the theme of same-sex love, composed decades before the word "homosexual" came into use. This revolutionary,...
    By Walt Whitman
    Hardback
    $5000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass
    Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass
    "I celebrate myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease...observing a spear of summer grass." So begins Leaves of Grass, the first great American poem and indeed, to this day, the greatest and most essentially American...
    By Walt Whitman
    Hardback
    $9000
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Leaves of Grass
    A deluxe edition of Whitman's crowning achievement, with an introductory essay by Harold Bloom. I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. When Walt Whitman self-published his Leaves of Grass in July 1855, he altered the course of literary history. One of the greatest...
    By Walt Whitman
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Leaves of Grass
    A timeless collection of hundreds of poems that resonate with the American spirit. Leaves of Grass is a timeless collection of poems and essays penned by the influential nineteenth-century writer Walt Whitman. This profound compilation explores topics such as nature, mysticism, mortality, transcendentalism, and democracy. Inspired by personal experiences and observations, Whitman spent almost four decades piecing together the complete...
    By Walt Whitman
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Leaves of Grass
    Leaves of Grass
    'I spring from the pages into your arms' Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman stands as one of the most influential and innovative literary works of the last two hundred years. Widely credited as the originator of free verse in English, Whitman put forward a radical new language of the body, the nation, and same-sex love. After the book's initial...
    By Walt Whitman
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Leaves of Grass
    Leaves of Grass
    First published in 1855 and extended by the author over the course of more than three decades, Leaves of Grass embodies Walt Whitman’s lifetime ambition to create a new voice that could capture the spirit and vibrancy of the young American nation, while celebrating at the same time “Nature without check with original energy”. Famously written in free verse and...
    By Walt Whitman
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Leaves of Grass
    "I am large, I contain multitudes" A Penguin Classic When Walt Whitman self-published his Leaves of Grass in July 1855, he altered the course of literary history. One of the greatest masterpieces of American literature, it redefined the rules of poetry while describing the soul of the American character.Throughout his great career, Whitman continuously revised, expanded, and republished Leaves of...
    By Walt Whitman
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    By Jane Ussher
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    By Jon Toogood
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    New Release
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    By Monique Fiso
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Buy to Win
    Did I Ever Tell You This?
    In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his...
    By Sam Neill
    Paperback
    $3799
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    By Layne Staley
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • They Bloom Because of You
    Bestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood - the hard, the magic and the fleeting. ‘A raw and honest read that makes you feel seen and understood in a way that will bring you to tears.’ - Hilary Swank ‘A book to keep close and...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    14% off
    Leaves of Grass
    A collectible new Penguin Classics series offers beautiful, slim, clothbound editions of ten favourite poets. In 1855, Walt Whitman published his first collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. The volume received great praise from leading Transcendentalist poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This encouragement led to what would become a lifelong project, as Whitman expanded and rewrote the volume until his death...
    By Walt Whitman
    Hardback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    37% off
    Great Writers and the Cats who Owned Them
    Throughout history, cats and writers have bonded together in a magical combination of comfort, companionship and inspiration. The famous authors featured here range from Samuel Johnson, whose cat Hodge dined on oysters, and Edward Lear, whose charismatic cat Foss was missing half his tail, to Margaret Mitchell, L. M. Montgomery and Dorothy L. Sayers, who rescued her kitten Blitz from...
    By Susannah Fullerton
    Hardback
    $2500
    Usually:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Buy to Win
    The Odyssey
    The Odyssey by Homer is a monumental epic that has enthralled readers for centuries with its rich tapestry of adventure and human struggle. It chronicles the perilous journey of Odysseus, the cunning King of Ithaca, as he strives to return home after the fall of Troy. During this ten-year odyssey, Odysseus confronts myriad dangers, both natural and supernatural, that test...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Beautiful Chaos
    The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller Selected poems from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'These words awaken the magic of life by celebrating the ordinary.' - Giovanna Fletcher Motherhood is messy and beautiful, and hard and humbling. We adore our children and sometimes we miss ourselves. Beautiful Chaos is a collection of raw, honest poems about motherhood, capturing everything...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Odyssey
    The great epic of Western literature, translated by the acclaimed classicist Robert Fagles. A Penguin Classic Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, presents us with Homer's best-loved and most accessible poem in a stunning modern-verse translation. "Sing to me of the...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Arts & Culture lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all