Editing the Infinite

It seems to be that one of the most obvious differences between the 1855 and 1860 editions is the brevity, or certainly lack there of in regards to Whitman’s prolific expansion.  For one reason or another he seems to expand significantly so upon his original concepts, and thus creates a “bonus track” if you will, that consummates his beliefs.  The way in which he organizes the 1860 Leaves of Grass resembles an abstract kind of timeline that begins with the birth of the American nation and his undying love for democracy, transforms into a more personal relationship with Americans themselves and his journey’s/experiences and knowledge acquired on the road, and then ends with an autobiographical-eulogy (or to be more precise a “So Long!”) in which he proclaims the immortality of his soul while acknowledging the death of his body.  The transitional stages found in this copy are more in depth and appear to encompass an ultimatum like quality that isn’t necessarily presented in the 1855 version.


But Whitman doesn’t stop in 1860.  If one is to then compare the 1860 rendition to that of the 1867 Leaves of Grass, at first glance they appear to be of the same structure and content.  However, upon further inspecting the different sections (in particular “So Long!”) one can see that he has compressed the material and has even further molded, reconstructed, and re-evaluated his previous intentional meanderings into more adequately condensed sentences.  Or in other words, Whitman’s 1867 edition represents his seven year editing process of a long and meticulously constructed work of art, in which his renditions and alterations should be anything be disregarded.