Minor Prophecy: Walt Whitman's New American Religion

by David Kuebrich

Overview

Many of Walt Whitman's earliest readers hailed him as a religious prophet. For them, Leaves of Grass was more than literary art; it was sacred scripture. Recent scholarship has, however, dismissed those early enthusiasts as naive, if not crazy. David Kuebrich's new study of Whitman corrects that academic oversight by giving the early Whitmanites their due as the critics who most clearly perceived the nature and purpose of the poet's labors—to begin a new religion. Kuebrich's thorough, intelligent study, based squarely on textual evidence, offers a revisionist interpretation of America's great poet, returning religious vision and spirituality to the center of Whitman studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253331915
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	03/22/1990
Series:	Religion in North America Series
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

Editorial Reviews

A revisionist interpretation of the 19th century American poet. Kuebrich (English and American studies, George Mason Univ.) revives the religious vision and spirituality seen by Whitman's early readers, and asserts that the purpose of the poetry was to begin a new religion. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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