Thoreau was 39 and Whitman was 37 when they met
Alcott knew them both and
thought they should meet
Walt Whitman had published
Leaves of Grass
the year before and
Emerson, Thoreau’s dear friend,
upon reading it wrote to the then unknown
poet “I greet you at the beginning of a
great career.”
Whitman quoted him on the back of
his next edition
Perhaps that is why when Whitman & Thoreau
met in a parlor “They surveyed
each other curiously-
like two beasts”
A threat may have been perceived
Cold compliments were exchanged
Whitman a man of the people was polar opposite
of Thoreau who preferred squirrels and trees
Thoreau remarked about Whitman (paraphrase) that he
was strong and coarse, of sweet disposition
and well loved by his friends
Whitman noted Thoreau’s lack of empathy for
his fellow man and intimated that Thoreau was
“supercilious” but likeable,-“…an interesting
Man, simple, conclusive.”
Needless to say, no friendship developed as
Alcott may have hoped
Whitman, open and free-wheeling
probably scared the shit out of Thoreau!
Inspired by a different drum
a Charles Norman biography
Rainy Knight © April 16, 2015
C'mon, now! Could somebody help me? I was a blogger. Now suddenly I cannot access the page where I post! Cheesh!
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