Publisher's Synopsis
Written while Whitman was 70 years old, these rare essays and verses begin with reflections on the genesis of the poet's most famous work, Leaves of Grass. A selection of poetry, "Sands at Seventy," is followed by prose items including "Slang in America," "What Lurks Behind Shakespeare's Historical Plays," "The Old Bowery," and biographical notes on Quaker abolitionist Elias Hicks.