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Nothing But Miracles
The author finds miracles everywhere--in nature, on city streets, and at home.
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2003
About the author
Walt Whitman
1,732 books5,622 followersWalter Whitman Jr. was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature. Whitman incorporated both transcendentalism and realism in his writings and is often called the father of free verse. His work was controversial in his time, particularly his 1855 poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described by some as obscene for its overt sensuality.
Whitman was born in Huntington on Long Island, and lived in Brooklyn as a child and through much of his career. At the age of 11, he left formal schooling to go to work. He worked as a journalist, a teacher, and a government clerk. Whitman's major poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, was financed with his own money and became well known. The work was an attempt to reach out to the common person with an American epic. Whitman continued expanding and revising Leaves of Grass until his death in 1892.
During the American Civil War, he went to Washington, D.C., and worked in hospitals caring for the wounded. His poetry often focused on both loss and healing. On the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, whom Whitman greatly admired, he authored two poems, "O Captain! My Captain!" and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd", and gave a series of lectures on Lincoln. After suffering a stroke towards the end of his life, Whitman moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his health further declined. When he died at the age of 72, his funeral was a public event.
Whitman's influence on poetry remains strong. Art historian Mary Berenson wrote, "You cannot really understand America without Walt Whitman, without Leaves of Grass... He has expressed that civilization, 'up to date,' as he would say, and no student of the philosophy of history can do without him." Modernist poet Ezra Pound called Whitman "America's poet... He is America."
Whitman was born in Huntington on Long Island, and lived in Brooklyn as a child and through much of his career. At the age of 11, he left formal schooling to go to work. He worked as a journalist, a teacher, and a government clerk. Whitman's major poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, was financed with his own money and became well known. The work was an attempt to reach out to the common person with an American epic. Whitman continued expanding and revising Leaves of Grass until his death in 1892.
During the American Civil War, he went to Washington, D.C., and worked in hospitals caring for the wounded. His poetry often focused on both loss and healing. On the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, whom Whitman greatly admired, he authored two poems, "O Captain! My Captain!" and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd", and gave a series of lectures on Lincoln. After suffering a stroke towards the end of his life, Whitman moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his health further declined. When he died at the age of 72, his funeral was a public event.
Whitman's influence on poetry remains strong. Art historian Mary Berenson wrote, "You cannot really understand America without Walt Whitman, without Leaves of Grass... He has expressed that civilization, 'up to date,' as he would say, and no student of the philosophy of history can do without him." Modernist poet Ezra Pound called Whitman "America's poet... He is America."
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 11, 2009
Why are cats chosen over people to illustrate and showcase part of a Walt Whitman poem? Do you need to ask, people? Obviously, the black momma cat, gray daddy cat, and yellow baby cat are better at explaining miracles in everyday life to little children. Cats are just perfect at getting at what Whitman is trying to convey here. Life is miraculous, whether you are a cat sleeping on top of your dad in a tent, eating fishies off a table with other cats, or wading your kitty paws in the edge of the water along the beach. We know that for cats to want to do that is nothing short of a miracle. Ah. Miracles. They are all around you. And cats. They are always there too. Creepy. And miraculous.
October 30, 2018
Walt Whitman's lovely poem is echoed in the art with a family of anthropomorphised cats as they go through the world he describes...
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
July 3, 2008
Nice version of the classic poem.
April 26, 2012
Beautiful book to read with a child, showing them poetry, synthesis, and light.
May 6, 2015
I thought this was a great idea, and I liked the style of the artwork (layered collage), but actual illustrations didn't work very well for me.
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December 11, 2015Picture W615n 2003
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews