The Essay On Walt Whitman

To some British readers, Whitman's poetry sounded like the true voice of Americans. It was free and powerful. It was common and sweet as the open air. British writer Robert Louis Stevenson wrote that Leaves of Grass turned the world upside down for him. Yet most readers in Britain and the United States rejected Whitman. Many were shocked by the poetry's new form and open sexuality. Many booksellers refused to sell Leaves of Grass. Most leading critics dismissed it. Whitman's brother even criticized the poetry. "Walt," he said, "hasn't the world made it plain that it would rather not have your book. Why then don't you call the game off."