Emerson's Letter to Whitman

Title

Emerson's Letter to Whitman

Subject

Emerson responds to Whitman's gift of the first edition of Leaves of Grass

Description

Letter, Ralph Waldo Emerson to Walt Whitman extolling Whitman's poetry, 21 July 1855.

In one of the most quoted letters in American literary history, Emerson writes to an eager Whitman, "I greet you at the beginning of a brilliant career..." Though Emerson was never able to match this exuberance when it came to Whitman's poetry, these words have circulated broadly, giving Whitman the impress of authority before he actually found his audience.

Creator

Emerson, Ralph Waldo

Source

Library of Congress: American Memory Project
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Date

21 July 1855

Language

English

Type

Letter

Coverage

The Feinberg-Whitman Collection is the largest such collection of Whitman papers in existence.

Original Format

A32 (color slide; page 1); A33 (color slide; pages 2 and 3); A34 (color slide; pages 4 and 5); LC-MSS-18630-5 (B&W negatives; pages 1-5)

Citation

Emerson, Ralph Waldo, “Emerson's Letter to Whitman,” Digital Exhibits, accessed November 4, 2024, http://digitalexhibits.wsulibs.wsu.edu/items/show/4293.