Comrade Whitman

The reception of the American poet Walt Whitman has been a global phenomenon. It is central to the history of modern poetry, but it goes beyond literary stakes: Whitman’s proclaimed heirs often saw him as a prophet of a new world. This book focuses on the Russian and Soviet uses of the poet, showing how they contributed to his transformation into a revolutionary and communist icon, especially in the US and in Latin America. It illuminates circuitous routes of translations and interpretations between the Soviet Union, Europe and the Americas. It covers a vast linguistic scope, including Yiddish and various languages of the Russian and Soviet empires.

Delphine Rumeau is Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Grenoble, France.