Whitman continually edited his poems throughout his life, and although some underwent drastic changes in subsequent versions of Leaves of Grass, like “Song of Myself,” some, like “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry,” went relatively untouched. These subtle changes can be very telling as we seek to appreciate Whitman’s evolving poetic preferences and try to appreciate more about how his life philosophies and experiences were embedded in those alterations.

By clicking on the dates to the left, users can view "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" as it was published in the various editions of Leaves of Grass. Important commentary and criticism is provided throughout these edition texts to help the reader understand the changes within a poet through the lens of a single poem.

The various versions of the poem were keyed by the Walt Whitman Archive and textual variations were compiled using "Leaves of Grass: A Textual Variorum of the Printed Poems 1855-1856, Volume I."

Edition Evolution Key:

Red Text: indicates deletions from the previous edition.

White Text: indicates all other alterations, aside from deletions, made from the previous edition.

This symbol links to useful analysis pertaining to the changes made by Whitman in this edition of Leaves of Grass.

For more information on the various editions of Leaves of Grass, please visit the Walt Whitman Archive.

Edition Evolution Key: Red Text: indicates deletions from the previous edition White Text: indicates all other alterations, aside from deletions, made from the previous edition This symbol links to useful analysis pertaining to the changes made by Whitman in this edition of Leaves of Grass.