Leaves of Grass

The Original 1855 Edition

By: Walt Whitman, American Renaissance Books

Narrated by: Sam Torode

When Walt Whitman self-published "Leaves of Grass" in 1855, he rocked the literary world and forever changed the course of poetry. In subsequent editions, Whitman continued to revise and expand his poems - but none matched the raw power and immediacy of the first edition. This volume presents the 1855 "Leaves of Grass" in its entirety, unchanged, along with Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous letter to Whitman.

Public Domain (P)2017 Sam Torode

Very dis-impassioned narrating.

If this was for the “calm app”, I’d get it, Whitman needs a confident reading, more passion! This feels like a bedtime story.

Pretty decent

It’s a very calm and clear rendition. I wish the reading had a bit more life to it. I also have some issues with certain pronunciation choices, but overall, it’s a good way to listen to some of the greatest poetry.

Great Poetry Marred by Mispronunciations

What three words best describe Sam Torode’s performance?

Pleasant voice and pace but far too many mispronunciations.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Over four hours of poetry should be enjoyed slowly.

Narrators Interpretation

What you'll find is worth a listen, even though as others have said, the narrator chose to interpret the poem other than most would have. His reading is clear, slow, understanding, but lacking in the exuberance and pitched modulation I would expect from whitman. But it is a true interpretation of the poem, because theres also a loafing relaxation throughout whitman.

great work, meh reader

i love Walt Whitman as a rule, and picked this as something to unwind to as i revisit familiar poems. the narrator just didn't have the cadence for poetry, it was read very much like a textbook rather than something with a natural rhythm.