Comprising more than 30 substantial essays written by leading scholars, this companion constitutes an exceptionally broad-ranging and in-depth guide to one of America’s greatest poets.

• Makes the best and most up-to-date thinking on Whitman available to students
• Designed to make readers more aware of the social and cultural contexts of Whitman’s work, and of the experimental nature of his writing
• Includes contributions devoted to specific poetry and prose works, a compact biography of the poet, and a bibliography

Donald D. Kummings is a Professor of English at the Parkside Campus of the University of Wisconsin. His books on Whitman include Walt Whitman, 1940-1975: A Reference Guide (1982), Approaches to Teaching Whitman‘s ‘Leaves of Grass’ (1990) and with J.R. LeMaster Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia (1998). In 1990, his collection of poems, ;The Open Road Trip ;was awarded the Posner Poetry Prize by the Council for Wisconsin Writers. In 1997, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching named him Wisconsin Professor of the Year.