Piece Description

Part of the Series "RN Focus on Poetry" A “poetic divo” burst onto the literary stage in 1855 and changed the course of poetic expression. Walt Whitman’s epic “Leaves of Grass” is considered the beginning of modern poetry, and contains some of the most glorious use of language since Shakespeare. This two-part program explores the life and work of America’s greatest poet with biographer Gary Schmidgall, and Margaret O’Neill, curator of the Walt Whitman House in Camden, New Jersey, among others. NOTE to PD’s: Though the two programs were designed to be played in two successive weeks, either one can stand alone. There is enough music at the end of Part One to fade out before the narrator says, “Next Week…” and Part Two makes no direct reference to the first part. Part Two: The Good Gray Poet – explores the latter half of Whitman’s life. Just as the Civil War divided the country, it also wrought great change in the poet, whose work takes on a more mature and somber tone. But his reputation was spreading to Europe and diverse writers such as Oscar Wilde, Garcia Lorca and Bram Stoker paid homage to him.