November Boughs by Walt Whitman was written when the poet was seventy years old. Many people's minds become less focused with age and most creative people's best days are long behind them. Whitman, however, is as sharp as he ever was in this collection. The collection starts with short poems that produce that same effect that Leaves of Grass gave me years ago. Even in the few lines of each poem there is enough enchantment to produce vivid imagery. It's a bit more than just imagery when I read it. It is more like a movie that you fall into and before you realize two hours have past and you are left with a feel of wonderment.

Whitman is difficult to review mainly because his work is so difficult to dislike. There are plenty great writers who have their detractors, but I have never heard anyone say they hated Whitman. He does have some views African Americans that are very much less than positive, but he was a man of his time.

Some of the other views and thoughts of Whitman are found in the collection. The majority of the book is essays, thoughts on other poets, letters, and journal entries. Even here, Whitman's style shines through:

The third day of mellow, delicious, sunshiny weather. I am writing this in the recesses of the old woods, my seat on a big pine log, my back against a tree. Journal entry for October 2nd.


November Boughs is an excellent collection. The short poems are easily read during a break in the day and will keep your mind well occupied after the reading. The other works, essays and journal entries give the reader a look into a great mind. A very well rounded collection on one of America's greatest poets. ( )

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

This collection of poems, essays, and journal entries provides a vivid look at the 19th century, as well as a distinct look inside Walt Whitman's later life. A collection of poems in the first portion of the book focuses on a myriad of subjects, including New York, odes to Civil War soldiers, spirituality, and religion. The second section is a selection of essays reviewing Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln, Robert Burns, and others. Each was illuminating, especially Abraham Lincoln's. Whitman gives his own personal observations of the 16th President with great detail and reverence. The third section focuses on Elias Hicks, a man of whom I'd not heard before reading this. Though the biography is short, it sparked my own interest. I plan on researching Hicks and reading the journal that Whitman spoke of.

This is an excellent collection of Whitman's work, and I'd recommend it to all. ( )

I tend to think of Walt Whitman as a poet, but this is a collection of essays written by the author better known for his poetry. Among my favorite essays in the collection is "The Bible As Poetry." His essay on "Slang in America" offered observations into how slang terms often become part of the core vocabulary of a language. Another couple which stood out to me because of my familiarity with works discussed were "What Lurks Behind Shakspere's Historical Plays?" and "A Thought on Shakspere." Whitman also offered his thoughts on Robert Burns and Tennyson. One of the most important aspects of this collection is that it offers reflections on 19th century life from interaction with Native Americans to theatre to the Civil War. He offers glimpses of various cities through diary entries, articles, and essays, such as New Orleans, New York, and St. Louis. Whitman must have been interested in the Quaker religion as he tells the stories of Elias Hicks and George Fox in biographical sketches. An e-galley was received from the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes. ( )