Days With Walt Whitman, Evening Star (Article, August 1906)
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Days With Walt Withman; With some Notes on his Life and Work. By Edward Carpenter. With portraits. New York: The Macmillan Company. Washington: Brentano's.
In some respects as picturesque a character himself as Walt Whitman, Edward Carpenter writes vividly of the "good gray poet" as he knew him personally, and as one of his admirers and interpreters. He met Whitman during two trips to the United States, in 1877 and 1884, after having been for several years a close reader of his writings. On each of these occasions he visited Whitman at his home and during the first visit he was a fellow-guest with him for a week at the home of the Gilchrists. Thus he became well acquainted with him in his varying moods, saw him in his relations with others and studied him both as a man and as a thinker. His own interpretation of Whitman is based upon the theory that through him speaks the voice of the ages. He likens Whitman to the prophets of old, inspired with the great fundamental truths affecting the conduct of mankind. Mr. Carpenter's chapter on this subject is especially suggestive, being accompanied by citations from the Hindu philosophies and writings to support the theory that Whitman drew his knowledge from the great central fount of wisdom.
