Walt Whitman: An Address

Name: Walt Whitman: An Address
Author: Robert Green Ingersoll

By Robert Green Ingersoll

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Essays, Letters & Speeches

About This Book

A public lecture and commemorative address celebrates a pioneering American poet, surveying his radical break from literary convention, the candid, formless, and organic quality of his verse, and the hostile reception it provoked. The speaker defends the poet's affirmation of the body, love, and maternity against prudish hypocrisy, traces the nation's changing literary tastes since mid-century, and argues that sincerity and naturalness mark his achievement. The volume also includes a funeral oration and a portrait, framing personal testimony and critical appraisal.

About the Author

Robert Green Ingersoll

Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) was a prominent American orator, lawyer, and political activist known for his advocacy of free thought and secularism. Often referred to as the "Great Agnostic," Ingersoll was a leading figure in the 19th-century movement for religious skepticism and humanism. His lectures, such as "About The Holy Bible" and "An Oration on the Life and Services of Thomas Paine," challenged traditional religious beliefs and promoted rationalism. Ingersoll's eloquent speeches and writings contributed significantly to the discourse on religion, morality, and individual rights, making him a notable figure in American literary and intellectual history.