[Whitman, Walt- Will Innes' copy, thence to Gertrude Traubel] As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free

Washington DC, 1872. 4 7/8 x 8 1/4. Original publisher's smooth dark green cloth, gilt lettering on cover, original gray endpapers. Most likely a Presentation Binding, given to Will Innes (who obtained many directly inscribed from Whitman), and this binding size seems to differ very slightly from published records. Written on front free fly: "Will Innes' copy which he gave to Gertrude Traubel, Sunday, December 17- 1967-" Gertrude received a very large of inscribed copies directly from Innes on or about this date, in 1967, most bearing presentation inscriptions to Innes directly from Traubel, Whitman's close friend and secretary, handling most of his affairs especially late in life. From Ed Folsom, noted Whitman scholar: ìOne of the oddest of Whitman's books, this little gathering of poems emerged from his desire to "print my College Poem in a small book." The "College Poem" is "As a Strong Bird" (later titled "Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood"), which Whitman recited at Dartmouth College in June 1872 after he had been invited by a group of Dartmouth seniors to deliver a commencement poem (apparently as a kind of expression of student independence from the faculty)Ö The most important thing about the little book is the preface, one of Whitman's most revealing and thoughtful examinations of his work, its direction, and its purpose. Whitman returned to his pre-war dark green cover with the title goldstamped on the front (fig. 39). It was printed by Samuel W. Green in New York in an edition of 572 copies, 300 or so of which were bound.î A fine copy with very slight wear to extremities of spine, a few nicks to endpapers. A very rare Whitman title, with an attractive provenance and inscription.