Grashalmen

by Walt Whitman

"Grashalmen" by Walt Whitman is a poetry collection first published in 1855. This groundbreaking work celebrates American democracy, nature, and the human body through free-flowing verse that abandoned traditional rhyme and meter. Whitman continuously revised and expanded the collection throughout his lifetime, transforming it from twelve poems into over four hundred. The book sparked controversy for its candid sensual imagery but has since become a cornerstone of American poetry, including iconic works like "Song of Myself" and the Lincoln elegy "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd."