Complete Prose Works / Specimen Days and Collect, November Boughs and Goodbye My Fancy
CONTENTS
SPECIMEN DAYS A Happy Hour's Command Answer to an Insisting Friend Genealogy—Van Velsor and Whitman The Old Whitman and Van Velsor Cemeteries The Maternal Homestead Two Old Family Interiors Paumanok, and my Life on it as Child and Young Man My First Reading—Lafayette Printing Office—Old Brooklyn Growth—Health—Work My Passion for Ferries Broadway Sights Omnibus Jaunts and Drivers Plays and Operas too Through Eight Years Sources of Character—Results—1860 Opening of the Secession War National Uprising and Volunteering Contemptuous Feeling Battle of Bull Run, July, 1861 The Stupor Passes—Something Else Begins Down at the Front After First Fredericksburg Back to Washington Fifty Hours Left Wounded on the Field Hospital Scenes and Persons Patent-Office Hospital The White House by Moonlight An Army Hospital Ward A Connecticut Case Two Brooklyn Boys A Secesh Brave The Wounded from Chancellorsville A Night Battle over a Week Since Unnamed Remains the Bravest Soldier Some Specimen Cases My Preparations for Visits Ambulance Processions Bad Wounds—the Young The Most Inspiriting of all War's Shows Battle of Gettysburg A Cavalry Camp A New York Soldier Home-Made Music Abraham Lincoln Heated Term Soldiers and Talks Death of a Wisconsin Officer Hospitals Ensemble A Silent Night Ramble Spiritual Characters among the Soldiers Cattle Droves about Washington Hospital Perplexity Down at the Front Paying the Bounties Rumors, Changes, Etc. Virginia Summer of 1864 A New Army Organization fit for America Death of a Hero Hospital Scenes—Incidents A Yankee Soldier Union Prisoners South Deserters A Glimpse of War's Hell-Scenes Gifts—Money—Discrimination Items from My Note Books A Case from Second Bull Run Army Surgeons—Aid Deficiencies The Blue Everywhere A Model Hospital Boys in the Army Burial of a Lady Nurse Female Nurses for Soldiers Southern Escapees The Capitol by Gas-Light The Inauguration Attitude of Foreign Governments During the War The Weather—Does it Sympathize with These Times? Inauguration Ball Scene at the Capitol A Yankee Antique Wounds and Diseases Death of President Lincoln Sherman's Army Jubilation—its Sudden Stoppage No Good Portrait of Lincoln Releas'd Union Prisoners from South Death of a Pennsylvania Soldier The Armies Returning The Grand Review Western Soldiers A Soldier on Lincoln Two Brothers, one South, one North Some Sad Cases Yet Calhoun's Real Monument Hospitals Closing Typical Soldiers Convulsiveness Three Years Summ'd up The Million Dead, too, Summ'd up The Real War will never get in the Books An Interregnum Paragraph New Themes Enter'd Upon Entering a Long Farm-Lane To the Spring and Brook An Early Summer Reveille Birds Migrating at Midnight Bumble-Bees Cedar-Apples Summer Sights and Indolences Sundown Perfume—Quail-Notes—the Hermit Thrush A July Afternoon by the Pond Locusts and Katy-Dids The Lesson of a Tree Autumn Side-Bits The Sky—Days and Nights—Happiness Colors—A Contrast November 8, '76 Crows and Crows A Winter-Day on the Sea-Beach Sea-Shore Fancies In Memory of Thomas Paine A Two Hours' Ice-Sail Spring Overtures—Recreations One of the Human Kinks An Afternoon Scene The Gates Opening The Common Earth, the Soil Birds and Birds and Birds Full-Starr'd Nights Mulleins and Mulleins Distant Sounds A Sun-Bath—Nakedness The Oaks and I A Quintette The First Frost—Mems Three Young Men's Deaths February Days A Meadow Lark Sundown Lights Thoughts Under an Oak—A Dream Clover and Hay Perfume An Unknown Bird Whistling Horse-Mint Three of Us Death of William Cullen Bryant Jaunt up the Hudson Happiness and Raspberries A Specimen Tramp Family Manhattan from the Bay Human and Heroic New York Hours for the Soul Straw-Color'd and other Psyches A Night Remembrance Wild Flowers A Civility Too Long Neglected Delaware River—Days and Nights Scenes on Ferry and River—Last Winter's Nights The First Spring Day on Chestnut Street Up the Hudson to Ulster County Days at J.B.'s—Turf Fires—Spring Songs Meeting a Hermit An Ulster County Waterfall Walter Dumont and his Medal Hudson River Sights Two City Areas Certain Hours Central Park Walks and Talks A Fine Afternoon, 4 to 6 Departing of the Big Steamers Two Hours on the Minnesota Mature Summer Days and Night Exposition Building—New City Hall—River-Trip Swallows on the River Begin a Long Jaunt West In the Sleeper Missouri State Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas The Prairies—(and an Undeliver'd Speech) On to Denver—A Frontier Incident An Hour on Kenosha Summit An Egotistical Find New Scenes—New Joys Steam-Power, Telegraphs, Etc. America's Back-Bone The Parks Art Features Denver Impressions I Turn South and then East Again Unfulfill'd Wants—the Arkansas River A Silent Little Follower—the Coreopsis The Prairies and Great Plains in Poetry The Spanish Peaks—Evening on the Plains America's Characteristic Landscape Earth's Most Important Stream Prairie Analogies—the Tree Question Mississippi Valley Literature An Interviewer's Item The Women of the West The Silent General President Hayes's Speeches St. Louis Memoranda Nights on the Mississippi Upon our Own Land Edgar Poe's Significance Beethoven's Septette A Hint of Wild Nature Loafing in the Woods A Contralto Voice Seeing Niagara to Advantage Jaunting to Canada Sunday with the Insane Reminiscence of Elias Hicks Grand Native Growth A Zollverein between the U. S. and Canada The St. Lawrence Line The Savage Saguenay Capes Eternity and Trinity Chicoutimi, and Ha-ha Bay The Inhabitants—Good Living Cedar-Plums Like—Names Death of Thomas Carlyle Carlyle from American Points of View A Couple of Old Friends—A Coleridge Bit A Week's Visit to Boston The Boston of To-Day My Tribute to Four Poets Millet's Pictures—Last Items Birds—and a Caution Samples of my Common-Place Book My Native Sand and Salt Once More Hot Weather New York Ouster's Last Rally Some Old Acquaintances—Memories A Discovery of Old Age A Visit, at the Last, to R. W. Emerson Other Concord Notations Boston Common—More of Emerson An Ossianic Night—Dearest Friends Only a New Ferry Boat Death of Longfellow Starting Newspapers The Great Unrest of which We are Part By Emerson's Grave At Present Writing—Personal After Trying a Certain Book Final Confessions—Literary Tests Nature and Democracy—Morality
Walt Whitman
COMPLETE PROSE WORKS
Specimen Days and Collect, November Boughs and Good Bye My Fancy
DETAILED CONTENTS
SPECIMEN DAYS
A HAPPY HOUR'S COMMAND
ANSWER TO AN INSISTING FRIEND
GENEALOGY—VAN VELSOR AND WHITMAN
THE OLD WHITMAN AND VAN VELSOR CEMETERIES
THE MATERNAL HOMESTEAD
TWO OLD FAMILY INTERIORS
PAUMANOK, AND MY LIFE ON IT AS CHILD AND YOUNG MAN
MY FIRST READING—LAFAYETTE
PRINTING OFFICE—OLD BROOKLYN
GROWTH—HEALTH—WORK
MY PASSION FOR FERRIES
BROADWAY SIGHTS
OMNIBUS JAUNTS AND DRIVERS
PLAYS AND OPERAS TOO
THROUGH EIGHT YEARS.
SOURCES OF CHARACTER—RESULTS—1860
OPENING OF THE SECESSION WAR
NATIONAL UPRISING AND VOLUNTEERING
CONTEMPTUOUS FEELING
BATTLE OF BULL RUN, JULY, 1861
THE STUPOR PASSES—SOMETHING ELSE BEGINS
DOWN AT THE FRONT
AFTER FIRST FREDERICKSBURG
BACK TO WASHINGTON
FIFTY HOURS LEFT WOUNDED ON THE FIELD
HOSPITAL SCENES AND PERSONS
PATENT-OFFICE HOSPITAL
THE WHITE HOUSE BY MOONLIGHT
AN ARMY HOSPITAL WARD
A CONNECTICUT CASE
TWO BROOKLYN BOYS
A SECESH BRAVE
THE WOUNDED FROM CHANCELLORSVILLE
A NIGHT BATTLE OVER A WEEK SINCE
UNNAMED REMAINS THE BRAVEST SOLDIER
SOME SPECIMEN CASES
MY PREPARATIONS FOR VISITS
AMBULANCE PROCESSIONS
BAD WOUNDS—THE YOUNG
THE MOST INSPIRITING OF ALL WAR'S SHOWS
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
A CAVALRY CAMP
A NEW YORK SOLDIER
HOME-MADE MUSIC
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
HEATED TERM
SOLDIERS AND TALKS
DEATH OF A WISCONSIN OFFICER
HOSPITALS ENSEMBLE
A SILENT NIGHT RAMBLE
SPIRITUAL CHARACTERS AMONG THE SOLDIERS
CATTLE DROVES ABOUT WASHINGTON
HOSPITAL PERPLEXITY
DOWN AT THE FRONT
PAYING THE BOUNTIES
RUMORS, CHANGES, ETC.
VIRGINIA
SUMMER OF 1864
A NEW ARMY ORGANIZATION FIT FOR AMERICA
DEATH OF A HERO
HOSPITAL SCENES—INCIDENTS
A YANKEE SOLDIER
UNION PRISONERS SOUTH
DESERTERS
A GLIMPSE OF WAR'S HELL-SCENES
GIFTS—MONEY—DISCRIMINATION
ITEMS FROM MY NOTE BOOKS
A CASE FROM SECOND BULL RUN
ARMY SURGEONS—AID DEFICIENCIES
THE BLUE EVERYWHERE
A MODEL HOSPITAL
BOYS IN THE ARMY
BURIAL OF A LADY NURSE
FEMALE NURSES FOR SOLDIERS
SOUTHERN ESCAPEES
THE CAPITOL BY GAS-LIGHT
THE INAUGURATION
ATTITUDE OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS DURING THE WAR
THE WEATHER—DOES IT SYMPATHIZE WITH THESE TIMES?
INAUGURATION BALL
SCENE AT THE CAPITOL
A YANKEE ANTIQUE
WOUNDS AND DISEASES
DEATH OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN
SHERMAN'S ARMY'S JUBILATION—ITS SUDDEN STOPPAGE
NO GOOD PORTRAIT OF LINCOLN
RELEAS'D UNION PRISONERS FROM SOUTH
DEATH OF A PENNSYLVANIA SOLDIER
W. W.
THE GRAND REVIEW
WESTERN SOLDIERS
A SOLDIER ON LINCOLN
TWO BROTHERS, ONE SOUTH, ONE NORTH
SOME SAD CASES YET
CALHOUN'S REAL MONUMENT
HOSPITALS CLOSING
TYPICAL SOLDIERS
"CONVULSIVENESS"
THREE YEARS SUMM'D UP
THE MILLION DEAD, TOO, SUMM'D UP
THE REAL WAR WILL NEVER GET IN THE BOOKS
AN INTERREGNUM PARAGRAPH
NEW THEMES ENTERED UPON
ENTERING A LONG FARM-LANE
TO THE SPRING AND BROOK
AN EARLY SUMMER REVEILLE
BIRDS MIGRATING AT MIDNIGHT
BUMBLE-BEES
CEDAR-APPLES
SUMMER SIGHTS AND INDOLENCIES
SUNDOWN PERFUME—QUAILNOTES—THE HERMIT-THRUSH
A JULY AFTER-NOON BY THE POND
LOCUSTS AND KATY-DIDS
THE LESSON OF A TREE
AUTUMN SIDE-BITS
THE SKY—DAYS AND NIGHTS—HAPPINESS
COLORS—A CONTRAST
NOVEMBER 8, '76
CROWS AND CROWS
A WINTER DAY ON THE SEA-BEACH
SEA-SHORE FANCIES
IN MEMORY OF THOMAS PAINE.
A TWO HOURS ICE-SAIL
SPRING OVERTURES—RECREATIONS
ONE OF THE HUMAN KINKS
AN AFTERNOON SCENE
THE GATES OPENING
THE COMMON EARTH, THE SOIL
BIRDS AND BIRDS AND BIRDS
FULL-STARR'D NIGHTS
MULLEINS AND MULLEINS
DISTANT SOUNDS
A SUN-BATH-NAKEDNESS
THE OAKS AND I
A QUINTETTE
THE FIRST FROST—MEMS
THREE YOUNG MEN'S DEATHS
FEBRUARY DAYS
A MEADOW LARK
SUNDOWN LIGHTS
THOUGHTS UNDER AN OAK—A DREAM
CLOVER AND HAY PERFUME
AN UNKNOWN
BIRD-WHISTLING
HORSE-MINT
THREE OF US
DEATH OF WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT
JAUNT UP THE HUDSON
HAPPINESS AND RASPBERRIES
A SPECIMEN TRAMP FAMILY
MANHATTAN FROM THE BAY
HUMAN AND HEROIC NEW YORK
HOURS FOR THE SOUL
STRAW-COLOR'D AND OTHER PSYCHES
A NIGHT REMEMBRANCE
WILD FLOWERS
A CIVILITY TOO LONG NEGLECTED
DELAWARE RIVER—DAYS AND NIGHTS
SCENES ON FERRY AND RIVER—LAST WINTER'S NIGHTS
THE FIRST SPRING DAY ON CHESTNUT STREET
UP THE HUDSON TO ULSTER COUNTY
DAYS AT J. B.'S TURF-FIRES—SPRING SONGS
MEETING A HERMIT
AN ULSTER COUNTY WATERFALL
WALTER DUMONT AND HIS MEDAL
HUDSON RIVER SIGHTS
TWO CITY AREAS, CERTAIN HOURS
CENTRAL PARK WALKS AND TALKS
A FINE AFTERNOON, 4 TO 6
DEPARTING OF THE BIG STEAMERS
TWO HOURS ON THE MINNESOTA
MATURE SUMMER DAYS AND NIGHTS
EXPOSITION BUILDING—NEW CITY HALL—RIVER TRIP
SWALLOWS ON THE RIVER
BEGIN A LONG JAUNT WEST
IN THE SLEEPER
MISSOURI STATE
LAWRENCE AND TOPEKA, KANSAS
ON TO DENVER—A FRONTIER INCIDENT
AN HOUR ON KENOSHA SUMMIT
AN EGOTISTICAL "FIND"
NEW SENSES: NEW JOYS
STEAM-POWER, TELEGRAPHS, ETC
AMERICA'S BACK-BONE
THE PARKS
ART FEATURES
DENVER IMPRESSIONS
I TURN SOUTH AND THEN EAST AGAIN
UNFULFILLED WANTS—THE ARKANSAS RIVER
A SILENT LITTLE FOLLOWER-THE COREOPSIS
THE PRAIRIES AND GREAT PLAINS IN POETRY
THE SPANISH PEAKS—EVENING ON THE PLAINS
AMERICA'S CHARACTERISTIC LANDSCAPE
EARTH'S MOST IMPORTANT STREAM
PRAIRIE ANALOGIES—THE TREE QUESTION
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY LITERATURE
AN INTERVIEWER'S ITEM
THE WOMEN OF THE WEST
THE SILENT GENERAL
PRESIDENT HAYES'S SPEECHES
ST. LOUIS MEMORANDA
NIGHTS ON THE MISSISSIPPI
UPON OUR OWN LAND
EDGAR POE'S SIGNIFICANCE
BEETHOVEN'S SEPTETTE
A HINT OF WILD NATURE
LOAFING IN THE WOODS
A CONTRALTO VOICE
SEEING NIAGARA TO ADVANTAGE
JAUNTING TO CANADA
SUNDAY WITH THE INSANE
REMINISCENCE OF ELIAS HICKS
GRAND NATIVE GROWTH
A ZOLLVEREIN BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CANADA
THE ST. LAWRENCE LINE
THE SAVAGE SAGUENAY
CAPES ETERNITY AND TRINITY
CHICOUTIMI AND HA-HA BAY
THE INHABITANTS—GOOD LIVING
DEATH OF THOMAS CARLYLE
CARLYLE FROM AMERICAN POINTS OF VIEW
A COUPLE OF OLD FRIENDS—A COLERIDGE BIT
A WEEK'S VISIT TO BOSTON
THE BOSTON OF TO-DAY
MY TRIBUTE TO FOUR POETS
MILLET'S PICTURES LAST ITEMS
BIRDS—AND A CAUTION
SAMPLES OF MY COMMON-PLACE BOOK
MY NATIVE SAND AND SALT ONCE MORE
HOT WEATHER NEW YORK
CUSTER'S LAST RALLY
SOME OLD ACQUAINTANCES—MEMORIES
A DISCOVERY OF OLD AGE
A VISIT, AT THE LAST, TO R. W. EMERSON
OTHER CONCORD NOTATIONS
BOSTON COMMON—MORE OF EMERSON
AN OSSIANIC NIGHT—DEAREST FRIENDS
ONLY A NEW FERRY-BOAT
DEATH OF LONGFELLOW
STARTING NEWSPAPERS
THE GREAT UNREST OF WHICH WE ARE PART
AT PRESENT WRITING—PERSONAL
AFTER TRYING A CERTAIN BOOK
FINAL CONFESSIONS—LITERARY TESTS
NATURE AND DEMOCRACY—MORALITY
COLLECT
ONE OR TWO INDEX ITEMS
DEMOCRATIC VISTAS
ORIGINS OF ATTEMPTED SECESSION
PREFACES TO "LEAVES OF GRASS"
PREFACE, 1872 To As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free Now Thou Mother with
W. W.
A MEMORANDUM AT A VENTURE
DEATH OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN LECTURE
TWO LETTERS
W. W.
II
W. W.
NOTES LEFT OVER
EMERSON'S BOOKS, (THE SHADOWS OF THEM)
BRITISH LITERATURE
DARWINISM—(THEN FURTHERMORE)
"SOCIETY"
DEMOCRACY IN THE NEW WORLD
FOUNDATION STAGES—THEN OTHERS
GENERAL SUFFRAGE, ELECTIONS, ETC.
WHO GETS THE PLUNDER?
FRIENDSHIP, (THE REAL ARTICLE)
LACKS AND WANTS YET
RULERS STRICTLY OUT OF THE MASSES
MONUMENTS—THE PAST AND PRESENT
LITTLE OR NOTHING NEW, AFTER ALL
A LINCOLN REMINISCENCE
FREEDOM
BOOK-CLASSES—AMERICA'S LITERATURE
OUR REAL CULMINATION
AN AMERICAN PROBLEM
THE LAST COLLECTIVE COMPACTION
APPENDIX
PIECES IN EARLY YOUTH
1834-'42
PAUMANOK.
ONE WICKED IMPULSE
THE LAST LOYALIST
WILD FRANK'S RETURN
THE BOY LOVER
THE CHILD AND THE PROFLIGATE
LINGAVE'S TEMPTATION
LITTLE JANE
DUMB KATE
TALK TO AN ART-UNION
BLOOD-MONEY
I.
II
WOUNDED IN THE HOUSE OF FRIENDS
SAILING THE MISSISSIPPI AT MIDNIGHT
NOVEMBER BOUGHS
OUR EMINENT VISITORS
THE BIBLE AS POETRY
FATHER TAYLOR (AND ORATORY)
THE SPANISH ELEMENT IN OUR NATIONALITY
WALT WHITMAN.
WHAT LURKS BEHIND SHAKSPERE'S HISTORICAL PLAYS
A THOUGHT ON SHAKSPERE
ROBERT BURNS AS POET AND PERSON
A WORD ABOUT TENNYSON
SLANG IN AMERICA
AN INDIAN BUREAU REMINISCENCE
SOME DIARY NOTES AT RANDOM
NEGRO SLAVES IN NEW YORK
COUNTRY DAYS AND NIGHTS—
CENTRAL PARK NOTES
PLATE GLASS NOTES
SOME WAR MEMORANDA
WASHINGTON STREET SCENES
THE 195TH PENNSYLVANIA
LEFT-HAND WRITING BY SOLDIERS
CENTRAL VIRGINIA IN '64
PAYING THE 1ST U. S. C. T.
FIVE THOUSAND POEMS
THE OLD BOWERY
NOTES TO LATE ENGLISH BOOKS
PREFACE TO THE READER IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS—"Specimen Days in
ADDITIONAL NOTE, 1887
WALT WHITMAN,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
NEW ORLEANS IN 1848
SMALL MEMORANDA
NOTE TO A FRIEND
LAST OF THE WAR CASES
ELIAS HICKS
GEORGE FOX (AND SHAKSPERE)
GOOD-BYE MY FANCY
AN OLD MAN'S REJOINDER
OLD POETS
SHIP AHOY
FOR QUEEN VICTORIA'S BIRTHDAY
AMERICAN NATIONAL LITERATURE
GATHERING THE CORN
A DEATH-BOUQUET
SOME LAGGARDS YET
THE PERFECT HUMAN VOICE
SHAKSPERE FOR AMERICA
"UNASSAIL'D RENOWN"
INSCRIPTION FOR A LITTLE BOOK ON GIORDANO BRUNO
SPLINTERS
HEALTH, (OLD STYLE)
GAY-HEARTEDNESS
AS IN A SWOON.
L. OF G.
AFTER THE ARGUMENT.
FOR US TWO, READER DEAR.
MEMORANDA
A WORLD'S SHOW
NEW YORK—THE BAY—THE OLD NAME
A SICK SPELL
TO BE PRESENT ONLY
"INTESTINAL AGITATION"
"WALT WHITMAN'S LAST 'PUBLIC'"
INGERSOLL'S SPEECH
FEELING FAIRLY
OLD BROOKLYN DAYS
TWO QUESTIONS
PREFACE
AN ENGINEER'S OBITUARY
W. W.
SOME PERSONAL AND OLD-AGE JOTTINGS
OUT IN THE OPEN AGAIN
AMERICA'S BULK AVERAGE
LAST SAVED ITEMS
WALT WHITMAN'S LAST {49}