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/lit/ - Literature

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17664223 No.17664223 [Reply] [Original]

I always hear the first edition is better than the deathbed edition, but no one explains why. So someone explain why.

>> No.17664240

Schubert wasn't as good as Beethoven.

People need to face this.

>> No.17664614
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17664614

>>17664223
They like the impact of the younger Whitman’s original vision.
Like Lucas’ original Star Wars versus his own “special editions”

>> No.17664701

>>17664223
For starters the first edition is only 12 poems whereas the final deathbed edition is 400+ poems. I think there were some stylistic changes made to the original 12 poems in the final edition that may have softened their impact, but I can't remember what exactly they were. One notable thing at least was that whereas the original 1855 edition had Song of Myself as one long poem, Whitman later split it up into numbered sections. Look at the introduction for the Penguin 1855 edition if you want to know more though.

>> No.17664737

>>17664223
I actually prefer the deathbed edition though. It is comprehensive.

>> No.17664949

>>17664614
>comparing star wars to poetry

>> No.17666145
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17666145

>>17664949
IT WORKED

>> No.17666256

>>17666145
just this once, I'll admit you got me

>> No.17666329

>>17664949
The other day I read that Star Wars is just Schiller's Don Carlos and I wanted to poke my eyes out.

>> No.17666779

I've always preferred the death bed version too, even of Song of Myself. Yea, Whitman tinkered and tinkered and revised and revised, and it really shows. The deathbed version of Song of Myself is the most flowing, rhythmic, chantable poem I've read, and no wonder since America's great poet spent 4 decades or so revising it. Im baffled so many prefer the first version.

>> No.17666940

I read the original selection of poems but as they were in their deathbed edition (retarded but that's what my edition had)
it was the best Anglo poetry book I ever read

>> No.17667147

the deathbed edition is just overwrought. the first edition is spare and fresh but it's missing a couple essential poems. you should read both. penguin has a first ed with a bloom intro where he goes full retard and analyzes it via his kabbalah theory.