Richard Smith aka "Henry", to his close friends far and wide gave a grand presentation on Whitman at First Parish on May 31st.
He had several readers, all females, reading Whitman's poems and the narrative stuck to the chronology. It started with Leaves of Grass arriving in Concord, and Emerson's response-which the excited Whitman included in future editions.
Emerson encouraged Whitman to leave out the sexy part of the Adam and Eve poems, Thoreau and Bronson Alcott visited Whitman in Brooklyn, Civil War poems-Lincoln died, great poetry was made and reread throughout America.
And Whitman visited Emerson 7 months before Waldo died, a look of serenity and sweetness on his face (in the midst of his dementia).
The room was packed and at the end we all shouted "Happy Birthday, Walt!", and then had a birthday cake (candles and the birthday song made it all complete).
Concord is a great place to celebrate any birthday, especially your 200th!
He had several readers, all females, reading Whitman's poems and the narrative stuck to the chronology. It started with Leaves of Grass arriving in Concord, and Emerson's response-which the excited Whitman included in future editions.
Emerson encouraged Whitman to leave out the sexy part of the Adam and Eve poems, Thoreau and Bronson Alcott visited Whitman in Brooklyn, Civil War poems-Lincoln died, great poetry was made and reread throughout America.
And Whitman visited Emerson 7 months before Waldo died, a look of serenity and sweetness on his face (in the midst of his dementia).
The room was packed and at the end we all shouted "Happy Birthday, Walt!", and then had a birthday cake (candles and the birthday song made it all complete).
Concord is a great place to celebrate any birthday, especially your 200th!
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