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I struggled this week to fit Leaves of Grass into the evolution theme of this course. Maybe Walt Whitman represented a literary definition of Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection because his poetry was different from his predecessors? Why do we read Whitman instead of another author representative of a literary transitional period? We seemed to focus on Whitman's personal life- Whitman's sexuality? The sexuality of many writers (Willa Cather?) was questioned and, in my opinion, would have probably been easier to discuss within the context of the course.

Although Leaves of Grass was a difficult read for me I do appreciate the opportunity to read the poetry of an important American writer. It is also interesting to learn that Whitman revised Leaves of Grass several times over his lifetime. Within the 1855 edition I read elements of the civil war, the political rise of America around the world and the transition between Transcendentalism and realism. I look forward to listening to my classmates' opinions on the last half of Leaves of Grass.