Read with Me: Song of Myself by Walt Whitman

I celebrate myself;
And what I assume you shall assume;
For every atom belonging to me, as good belongs to you.

Walt Whitman has been called the father of American poetry, as well as the father of American free verse. “Song of Myself” was his introduction to the world. Controversial when it was first self-published, it’s now hard to find a list, no matter how short, of “great American poems” that doesn’t include it. We’ll be doing a month-long close reading of the earliest version of this poem as published in the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass (available in the public domain, or as a very cheap Kindle download or paperback).

Course includes 15 instructor-led online forum discussions focused on poetic craft (in our private course area, with each lesson’s kickoff post sent to your email), four small-group peer-led Zoom calls, prompts for creating your own imitations / poetic responses, and an ongoing class forum where you can interact with other participants. There will be a lot of material and options provided: how deeply you want to participate will be up to you.

Cost: $50

Instructor: Meg Hartmann

Sign up to be notified when registration for this course opens by submitting your email below. Signing up for updates does not commit you to taking the class. Which classes open in the future will depend on which classes get the most interest – so please do sign up for updates if you want to see a class happen! Entering your email for more than one class is encouraged.