Classic American Poetry

In his Preface to 'Leaves of Grass' in 1855, Walt Whitman said that "The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem." -- A bold statement, but glorious in its self-assertion. Poetry, Whitman believed, is the voice of the nation, expressing its deepest concerns, ambitions and longings and that is certainly true of the great classic poetry of America. Compiled specially for Naxos AudioBooks, this wideranging anthology-- from the earliest poets of the 16th century to the present day-- reflects the changing preoccupations and visions of Americans. The 65 poems in this collection, by the leading classic figures, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, E.E. Cummings, and so many others, as well as popular anonymous works such as Frankie and Johnny, speak of the breadth of America, its diversity, its natural beauty, its history and the growth of its national consciousness.