January 1897 (7:171)

Following is an early example, from an occasional feature titled “Notes on the Text of Leave of Grass,” of what would much later become a most important vein of Whitman scholarship: careful examination of manuscript versions of published work.  I include this item, however, mainly for the remarkable insight into Whitman’s thoughts on his relationship with his public—or perceived lack thereof.

 

Notes on the Text of Leaves of  Grass

IV

[Two Versons of “Grand is the Unseen”)]

            Marshall E. Smith possesses what would seem to be the original rough draft of “Grand is the Seen,” which appears in the group of poems included under the general title-line, “Good-bye My Fancy,” page 23, current edition volume of that name.  Whitman on this occasion wrote with a pencil and made few positive changes in the text as it appears in the initial rendering.  He substituted “seen” for “light” in the head-line, however, and while faithful to the certain expressive words selected at the start as most admirably enclosing and conveying his idea, finally fixed his verbal subjects in new combinations.  This affords a new glimpse, not greatly significant, upon his methods of work.  I submit the two drafts in their order:

I

Grand is the seen, the light—grand are the sky and stars,
Grand is the earth, and grand are time and space,
And  grand their laws, so multiform, so evolutionary,
     puzzling, lasting;
Then grander is one’s unseen soul, endowing comprehending
     those—
Lighting  the light, the sky and stars, sailing the sea,
     delving the earth,
More multiform—more puzzling than they,
More evolutionary vast and lasting.

II

Grand is the seen, the light, to me-—grand are the sky
     and stars,
Grand is the earth, and grand are lasting time and space,
And grand their laws, so multiform, puzzling, evolutionary ;
But grander far the unseen soul of me, comprehending,
     endowing all those,
Lighting the light, the sky and stars, delving the earth, sailing
     the sea,
(What were all these, indeed, without thee, unseen soul?
     of what amount without thee?)
More evolutionary, vast, puzzling, O my soul!
More multiform far—more lasting than they.

Whitman wrote these lines on the blank page of a letter bearing a date, November 14th, 1890, which enables us to fix with reasonable certainty the year, if not the month and day, of their conception.

Whitman, in mentioning this poem (1891), spoke to me of the people who misread into his work a materialist gospel.  I have been trying all my life to say one thing, and the public has insisted all my life that I have been trying to say another.  I know what I have tried to do.  But my failure to make some people understand what I have tried would seem to show that I have only comparatively succeeded if succeeded at all.  Or perhaps my public has not come.  If I stand for anything at all it is not the meat and drink we taste but the food stuffs of the unseen life, yes, that only real life, which explains, gives their only certitude, to these days, hours, the earth, all our sprawling and bawling—is what alone untangles the knot we call life into a clear thread, the immortal.”

Horace L. Traubel.