he pursued his way. The group headings
which were added in successive editions of his book, indicate the
milestones of his journey from the time when the Song of Myself noted
the beginning, till Whispers of Heavenly Death presaged the ending.
Familiarity with the main incidents and experiences of his life give
to the several annexes, as he was fond of calling the additions that
he made to each succeeding issue of his Leaves, the clues of chapter
headings: Children of Adam; Calamus; Birds of Passage; Sea-Drift; By
the Roadside; Drum-Taps; Autumn Rivulets; Whispers of Heavenly Death;
Songs of Parting.

A check list of his principal editions of Leaves of Grass, with
characteristics noted, would serve almost as a chronology of Whitman's
life story.

1855--FIRST EDITION. Twelve poems were included in this edition. They
are without distinctive titles, though in later issues they appeared
with varying titles, those given in the definitive edition being the
following:

Song of myself.
Song for occupations.
To think of time.
The sleepers.
I sing the body electric.
Faces.
Song of the answerer.
Europe.
A Boston ballad.
There was a child went forth.
My lesson complete.
Great are the myths.

1856--SECOND EDITION. In this edition, the second, there are
thirty-two poems. The poems are given titles, but not the same ones
that were finally included.

1860--THIRD EDITION. The number of poems is one hundred and
fifty-seven.

1867--FOURTH EDITION. The poems have grown in number to two hundred
and thirty-six. The inclusion here of the war cluster Drum-Taps, and a
rearrangement of other clusters, marks this edition as a notable one.
Drum-Taps had appeared as a separate volume two years earlier.

1871--FIFTH EDITION. A total of two hundred and seventy-three poems
are here classified under general titles, including for the first
time, Passage to India, and After All Not to Create Only, groups which
prior to this date were issued separately.

1876--SIXTH EDITION. This issue was intended as a Centennial edition,
and it includes Two Rivulets; there are two hundred and ninety-eight
poems.

1881--SEVENTH EDITION. Intended as the completion of a design
extending over a period of twenty-six years, Whitman had undertaken an
extensive revision of what he termed his bible of democracy. There are
three hundred and eighteen poems. This is the edition abandoned by the
publishers because threatened w