Song of the Open Road Resources

The Whitman Archive is your first stop on the road to getting to know Walt.

Poets.org maintains a great bio and links to Whitman's work.

Dig the Poetry Foundation for still more biographical detail and links to Whitman's works.

Maybe you've seen enough Whitman biographies by now, but maybe you haven't. If you just can't get enough, check out the Shmoopified Walt Whitman biography next.

This is a really cool, artistic interpretation of the poem in an abbreviated form.

This is another shortened version of the poem, which makes us want to pack our bags and get going.

This video features superstar critic Harold Bloom lecturing on Walt Whitman.

Here's the first half of a great reading, complete with photos of Walt.

… and here's the second half.

Here's the poet and social activist reading "Song of the Open Road." It's not the greatest recording, but it's still pretty cool to hear one poet cover another.

Is he thinking about hitting the road?

That looks like a good travelin' hat.

His beard had not yet reached full flowage.

This article, written by critic Harold Aspiz, appeared in the Walt Whitman Quarterly Review. Yes, there is such a thing.

This is pretty cool: an interview Whitman gave in 1888 was lost—until 2005.

Get every long, example-packed line right here.

Yep, you can bet your walking shoes that Whitman's in this anthology.