Whitman the Political Poet

Rating:
Summary: Excellent and accessible work
Review: When this study was originally published, it was considered quite radical to cast Whitman as a political poet - and this despite the fact that his ardent political commitments surface everywhere in his poetry. Although some of its radical luster has worn off, Erkkila's book remains one of the best ever treatments of Whitman. I would even recommend the book for non-scholars, as Erkkila writes engagingly and accessibly.