Downloads and Free Reading Options

1Noiseless Patient Spider

By Walt Whitman

LibriVox volunteers bring you eight different readings of Walt Whitman’s A Noiseless Patient Spider, a weekly poetry project. (Summary by Annie Coleman)

In honor of President’s Day, LibriVox brings you thirteen versions of <i>O Captain! My Captain!</i> by Walt Whitman. This classic poem was written by Whitman following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It appears in <i>Leaves of Grass</i>, Whitman’s masterpiece of a poetry collection and is considered by many to be one of his greatest poems. This was the LibriVox Weekly Poetry Project for the week of February 19th, 2006.<br />(Summary by Annie Coleman)

3Leaves of Grass

By Walt Whitman

American poet Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, is a collection of poems notable for its frank delight in and praise of the senses, during a time when such candid displays were considered immoral. Where much previous poetry, especially English, relied on symbolism, allegory, and meditation on the religious and spiritual, Leaves of Grass exalted the body and the material world. <br><br> Whitman was inspired to begin Leaves of Grass after reading an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson which expressed a need for a uniquely American poet. When the book was first published, Whitman sent a copy to Emerson, whose praiseful letter of response helped launch the book to success. Whitman’s hero, Abraham Lincoln, read and enjoyed an early version of Leaves of Grass. Despite such high recommendations, Whitman faced charges of obscenity and immorality for his work, but this only led to increased popularity of the book. <br><br> Whitman continually revised and republished Leaves of Grass throughout his lifetime, notably adding the “Drum-Taps” section after Lincoln’s assassination. The book grew from 12 poems in its first publication, which Whitman paid for and typeset himself, to nearly 400 poems in its final, “Death Bed Edition.” This recording is of the final edition.<br /> (Summary adapted from wikipedia.org by Annie Coleman)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 15 different recordings of <em>Miracles</em>, by Walt Whitman. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of March 4th, 2007.

LibriVox volunteers bring you 15 different recordings of What think you I take my pen in hand? by Walt Whitman. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of April 29th, 2007.

In celebration of Memorial Day in the United States, 2007, LibriVox volunteers bring you twelve different recordings of Dirge for Two Veterans by Walt Whitman. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of May 27th, 2007 (summary by Karen Savage)

7Specimen Days

By Walt Whitman

Specimen Days is essentially the great American poet Walt Whitman's scrap book. It documents most of his life's adventures, especially his experience serving as a nurse during the Civil War and travelling around America.

LibriVox volunteers bring you 6 different recordings of <em>Warble for Lilac-Time</em> by Walt Whitman.

9Old Ireland

By Walt Whitman

LibriVox volunteers bring you 11 recordings of Old Ireland by Walt Whitman. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for August 1st, 2010.

10Wound Dresser

By Walt Whitman

<i>The Wound Dresser</i> is a series of letters written from the hospitals in Washington by Walt Whitman during the War of the Rebellion to The New York Times, the Brooklyn Eagle and his mother, edited by Richard Maurice Burke, M.D., one of Whitman's literary executors. (Summary by R. S. Steinberg)

11Old Chants

By Walt Whitman

LibriVox volunteers bring you 11 recordings of Old Chants by Walt Whitman. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for May 15, 2011.<br><br>Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described as obscene for its overt sexuality.(summary by Wikipedia)<br>The first edition of Leaves of Grass was very small, collecting only twelve unnamed poems in 95 pages. Whitman continued to expand the editions until the ninth and final edition of almost 400 poems.(summary by David Lawrence)

12Prairie Sunset

By Walt Whitman

LibriVox volunteers bring you 16 recordings of A Prairie Sunset by Walt Whitman. This was the Weekly Poetry project for August 28, 2011.<br><br>Walt Whitman has been claimed as America's first "poet of democracy", a title meant to reflect his ability to write in a singularly American character. A British friend of Walt Whitman, Mary Smith Whitall Costelloe, wrote: "You cannot really understand America without Walt Whitman, without Leaves of Grass... He has expressed that civilization, 'up to date,' as he would say, and no student of the philosophy of history can do without him." (summary from Wikipedia)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 23 recordings of An Old Man's Thought of School by Walt Whitman. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for February 12, 2012.<br><br>Whitman claimed that after years of competing for "the usual rewards", he determined to become a poet. He first experimented with a variety of popular literary genres which appealed to the cultural tastes of the period. As early as 1850, he began writing what would become Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry which he would continue editing and revising until his death. (Summary from Wikipedia)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 13 recordings of Longings for Home by Walt Whitman. This was the Weekly Poetry project for August 26, 2012.<br><br>Born on Long Island, Whitman worked as a journalist, a teacher, a government clerk, and – in addition to publishing his poetry – was a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War. Early in his career, he also produced a temperance novel, Franklin Evans (1842). Whitman's major work, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855 with his own money. The work was an attempt at reaching out to the common person with an American epic. He continued expanding and revising it until his death in 1892. After a stroke towards the end of his life, he moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his health further declined. He died at age 72 and his funeral became a public spectacle. ( Summary from Wikipedia )

15I Saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing

By Walt Whitman

LibriVox volunteers bring you 11 recordings of I Saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing by Walt Whitman. This was the Weekly Poetry project for May 26, 2013.<br><br>This poem is taken from Book 4 of Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry which Whitman would continue editing and revising until his death. (Summary from Wikipedia)

16Drum-Taps

By Walt Whitman

Drum Taps is the next collection of poems published by Walt Whitman after his famous Leaves of Grass. This collection is a direct response to Whitman's personal observations of the Civil War, many of which come from his volunteer efforts in wartime hospitals. Despite the miseries of war described, Whitman's poems in Drum Taps assert a steady patriotism in favor of Lincoln's war effort. Interestingly, the 1915 edition used for this reading includes an introduction from the Times Literary Supplement which draws analogies between the Civil War and the current throes of World War I, enlisting Whitman posthumously as a supporter of the Allied campaign against Germany. - Summary by Expatriate

17O Captain! My Captain!

By Walt Whitman

LibriVox volunteers bring you 18 recordings of "O Captain! My Captain!" This was the Weekly Poetry for the week of August 17, 2014.<br /><br />"O Captain! My Captain!" is an elegy for Abraham Lincoln written by Walt Whitman, who worked as a clerk and army hospital nurse during the Civil War. The Captain of the poem is Lincoln, and the ship represents the United States, brought safely through the storm of war. In the poem, Whitman juxtaposes the people's joy at the end of the war with his grief at the assassination of the President. (Summary by Laurie Anne Walden)

LibriVox readers bring you 16 readings of Hush'd Be the Camps Today by Walt Whitman, in honor of the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's death on April 15, 1865. This was the weekly poem for April 12, 2015, to April 18, 2015. - Summary by Adele de Pignerolles

19Song of the Broad-Axe - stanza 4

By Walt Whitman

This Weekly Poem is an excerpt from Song of the Broad-axe (4th Stanza) by Walt Whitman, who was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. - Summary by Wikipedia

Whitman claimed that after years of competing for "the usual rewards", he determined to become a poet. He first experimented with a variety of popular literary genres which appealed to the cultural tastes of the period. As early as 1850, he began writing what would become Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry which he would continue editing and revising until his death. Whitman intended to write a distinctly American epic and used free verse with a cadence based on the Bible. At the end of June 1855, Whitman surprised his brothers with the already-printed first edition of Leaves of Grass. Whitman paid for the publication of the first edition of Leaves of Grass himself. ( Wikipedia )

This story ran as a serial in 1852 in the New York Sunday Dispatch, and for more than 160 years was buried in obscurity, unknown to the world as novel written by Walt Whitman. Zachary Turpin, a graduate student specializing in Whitman's works, had seen in his notes a sketch of a novel including the characters Covert, Wigglesworth, Smytthe and Jack Engle, but no work including these characters had ever been found. After poring over endless pages of newspapers of the era however, Turpin found this advertisement for an upcoming serial:<br><br> “A RICH REVELATION. --This week's SUNDAY DISPATCH will contain the LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF JACK ENGLE, an auto-biography, in which will be handled the Philosophy, Philanthropy, Pauperism, Law, Crime, Love, Matrimony, Morals, &c., which are characteristic of this great City at the present time, including the Manners and Morals of Boarding Houses, some scenes from Church History, Operations in Wall-st., with graphic Sketches of Men and Women as they appear to the public, and as they appear in other scenes not public. Read it and you will find some familiar cases and characters, with explanations necessary to properly understand what it is all about.”<br><br> And on finding those lines, Turpin unearthed the treasure.<br><br> The story is told in the first person by Jack Engle and has the feel of a Dickens tale set in New York City, with its rags to riches story and lively and engaging characters. (Margaret Espaillat)

22Roots and Leaves Themselves Alone

By Walt Whitman

Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist, in addition to publishing his poetry—was a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War. Whitman's major work, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855 with his own money. The work was an attempt at reaching out to the common person with an American epic. He continued expanding and revising it until his death in 1892. - Summary by Wikipedia

Published anonymously in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (with an earlier draft also appearing as “Arrow-Tip” in The Aristidean), The Half-Breed: A Tale of the Western Frontier is one of the few known works of long-form fiction written by Walt Whitman during the earliest part of his career. It tells the story of Arrow-Tip, a Native American who falls victim to frontier prejudice after the presumed murder of local blacksmith Peter Brown. Despite his presumed innocence, he is soon sentenced to die by hanging — even though there exists evidence that could possibly exonerate him. This narrative is further complicated by the presence of Boddo, a hideously deformed hunchback who is ostracized by the white settlers due to his mixed-race heritage. Fueled by spite and anger, Boddo uses this opportunity to take vengeance upon those who once tormented and humiliated him. - Summary by ChuckW

24Leaves of Grass (version 2)

By Walt Whitman

In honour of Walt Whitman's 200th birthday (31 May 2019) we bring you a solo recording of his seminal work Leaves of Grass. Originally published in 1855, the work started as a collection of 12 unnamed poems. However, Whitman spent most of his life writing and re-writing Leaves of Grass, resulting in many different editions published throughout his life. The final collection, which is recorded here, is a compilation of about 400 poems separated into 35 books. <br><br>This book is notable for its discussion of delight in sensual pleasures, and exalting the body and the material world. At the time, such candid displays were considered highly immoral, which led to reviews considering it "offensive", "obscene", "a mass of stupid filth", or suggesting it should have been burned after writing. Leaves of Grass even became banned in various locations, which only led to increased sales, with some printings even selling out on the first day. To this day, the work's legacy remains strong, and is one of the most important collections of American poetry.<br><br>Among some of the best known poems contained in this work are "O captain! My captain!", "I sing the body electric", and "Song of Myself".<br><br>(Summary by Foon)

25Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night

By Walt Whitman

LibriVox volunteers bring you 13 recordings of Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night.<br> This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for June 9, 2019. <br> ------<br> This poem about a battlefield death is taken from Whitman's Leaves Of Grass. ( David Lawrence)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 15 recordings of Long I Thought that Knowledge by Walt Whitman.<br> This was the Weekly Poetry project for June 30, 2019. <br> ------<br> This poem is taken from Walt Whitman's 'Leaves of Grass"

The theme around these poems is how poets expressed their ideas of love as well as the type of language used to convey said love through poetry; it also indirectly highlights how society may perceive love based on how those poets' values may have aligned with/against society during their era. All the poems revolve around a discussion of love through the language they used to describe their feelings of love as well as the images they paint through said language (whether it be expressed through older iterations of the English language or through more modern forms of the language, hence the year differences among each poet selected). (Summary by Amr Ahmed)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 14 recordings of Song of Myself, Section 51 by Walt Whitman.<br> This was the Weekly Poetry project for February 20, 2022.<br> ------<br> The final form of Song of Myself contains 52 sections, the work remains among the most acclaimed and influential in American poetry. In 2011, writer and academic Jay Parini named it the greatest American poem ever written. - Summary by Wikipedia

Sea Drift is a set of 11 poems which make up part of Walt Whitman's larger collection Leaves of Grass. The poems were inspired by Whitman's memories of childhood visits to the sea shores of Paumanok, an old native American name for Long Island, and of later sea voyages. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)

Birds of Passage is a set of seven poems which are part of Walt Whitman's collection Leaves of Grass. The poems are full of idealism and hope for the future. Whitman sings of the Universal, an ideal state which will transcend the misery of life on earth, and praises the Pioneers who will create this new world. - Summary by Alan Mapstone

"Whispers of Heavenly Death" is a short collection of poems within Walt Whitman's major work "Leaves of Grass". In these poems, written towards the end of his life, Whitman ponders on the subject of death and mortality. - Summary by Alan Mapstone

Walt Whitman's best known poem - a vast and multitudinous celebration of American life in which the 'myself' of the title becomes at one with the universe. 'Song of Myself' was first published in 1855 as part of the collection Leaves of Grass and revised several times for subsequent editions. The version read here appeared as a single poem published in book form by the Roycroft Press of New York in 1904. This version is divided into 52 numbered sections, of 'Cantos', corresponding to the number of weeks in the year. Several of these cantos are well known in their own right, including Canto 6 ('What is grass?'), Canto 11 (The twenty-ninth bather), Canto 25 ('I sound my barbaric yawp!') and Canto 51 ('I am large, I contain multitudes'). - Summary by Phil Benson

33Radio Cop

By Vic Whitman

Now he was not only a police announcer, but a news reporter, and the biggest story of the year was breaking right under his nose. As he described the scene, there was a ring in his voice that brought his listeners up wide-eyed. - Summary extracted from the text