The master. The greatest American poet to ever explore the purpose of being, the purpose of life. The father of American free-verse. This collection of poems, in its entirety, is a piece of America's identity. Whitman praises the individual, praises freewill, and glorifies the beauties of life. Optimism oozes from within each poem, even when he contemplates death and grief. Poems like "Song of Myself," "O Me! O Life!" and "A Song of Joys" are absolute musts for those who appreciate and value the self, the identity. Walt Whitman is truly one of a kind. ( )

At one time this was probably the edition to own. Due to its excellent apparatus, it is still useful. However, its type is too small to read comfortably, and it is not printed on acid- free paper. Last time I looked Amazon Marketplace had copies for under a dollar. You would do better to spend more money and buy a more reader-friendly copy of this classic. I'm leaving this book unrated because I don't care much for sweaty poetry.