Walt Whitman’s America with Dr. Maria Seger
Join Dr. Maria Seger for an investigation of the writing, life, and times of Walt Whitman – dubbed America’s poet and the father of free verse.
Writing himself and the nation into being through his poetry, Whitman continually revised his life’s work, Leaves of Grass, across nine editions produced between 1855 and 1892. In so doing, he revolutionized American poetry both in form and in content, writing openly about topics like love and sexuality, democracy, embodiment, the divinity of the individual, nature and the urban landscape, and the tragic losses of the Civil War. Along with some of his best-known poems from the collection, including “Song of Myself” and “I Sing the Body Electric,” this conversation will also cover some of Whitman’s lesser-known gems, particularly selections from the sections Calamus and Drum-Taps.
Led by an expert on nineteenth-century US literature and culture, Dr. Maria Seger, this conversation will introduce participants to Whitman’s life and work in their critical and historical contexts. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of how, in Whitman’s words, America “absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorbed it.”
In advance of our conversation, the complete text of all editions of Leaves of Grass is accessible here.
This seminar has been designed to be enjoyed as both a single event – or as part of a series of conversations. For details about Dr. Seger's upcoming talks, please click here.
Maria Seger is an assistant professor of English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she researches and teaches US, Black, and ethnic literatures and cultures and critical race and ethnic studies. Her work appears in Callaloo, Nineteenth-Century Literature, and Studies in American Naturalism, and her edited collection, Reading Confederate Monuments, is under contract with the University Press of Mississippi. She earned her PhD from the University of Connecticut in 2016.
Not suitable for children under age 13 (sensitive content).
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
Professor Seger provides a clear and crisp overview of Leaves of Grass. The lecture is organized around several themes that Whitman is influenced by and is supported by placing him and his work in the historical context of the mid to late 19th century. Illustrations are from the period and reinforce the discussion.
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I got a real incite into whitman and I think I know now how to really READ him! thank you, Maria!! I've always been fscinTED WITH HIS POEMS I BUT NEVER TOOK THE TIME TO SLOW DOWN AND SAVOR HIIM!Sorry about the caps!
I read The Leaves of Grass in high school but Maria's seminar on Walt Whitman gave me a better understanding of Walt Whitman's entire body of work and the importance of his legacy. Maria is a distinguished scholar - her seminars are filled with thought provoking, and insightful observations. Outstanding in every way!
Dr. Seger is very knowledgable about her subjects and she always presents her material in a very well-structured manner and with lots of charm and enthusiasm. She really brought Walt Whitman to life for me. I enjoyed this seminar very much and will sign-up for more of her seminars and courses.