Walt Whitman Laughs: An Uncollected Piece of Prose Journalism

HuMor, pol itics, and a rt are the subjects of an uncollected piece of Walt Whitman's journalism published on October 17, 1872, in the Washington Evening Star. Portraying the poet laughing "enormously" at some comic sketches by the Republican political satirist Thomas Nast, the article lauds the development of the editorial cartoon as an American art form. The unsigned contribution appeared on page 1 in the regular column entitled "Washington News and Gossip":IT HAS BEEN GOOD FUN to-day observing the groups gathered around Shilling- ton's, Beal's, Parker's, Robert Reill's, Bishop's, and the other periodical stores of the Avenue and 7th street, to look at Nast's latest comic pictures, "The Tidal Wave" and the irresistible "Do you see anything green in my eye?" Both are strokes of genius, and, judging by Washington city, the appreciation of this sort of thing is complete. The motley crowds, by dozens and scores, big and little, old and young, white, black and brown, learned and illiterate, all made it plain enough "where the laugh came in." In fact it was one general smile varied by guffaws, grins, and every known form of cachinnation. Here was a stray Senator or Representative, there a head of a bureau or even Department, swarms of clerks up to 9 o'clock, visitors, the colored people, the "knights," mechanics-the whole mass put in merry humor by these amusing cartoons. Among the rest of the jolly heads in one group on the Avenue, we saw the white locks and red face of Walt Whitman, proving that he can, on due provocation, laugh enor- mously, (notwithstanding some of his foreign critics,) and was now doing the same.The general pictorial illustration business, and especially the original comic line, is certainly going to develop- or is already developed-into a great American institu- tion. Already we compete with the best English and German wood-engravings, and their artists and designs; the French only are ahead of us. But we shall yet, and soon, outstrip the whole world. We have more of the spirit of fun in us, as a people, than any other. It is racy, a perennial product of the soil, the breed. Nast is the Moses who has smitten the rock, and the waters are already beginning to gush forth. Several of the inferior comic papers also show talent of the first order in every number. Then there is something in the pictorial art that affords a subtler, juicier, more appropriate medium for the expression of absolute humor than any other artistic outlet.From all and several of which we launch the prophecy that Art in America is go- ing to loom up in at least one new and special institution of the first class, the Pictorial Comic. For there is unquestionably the droll side of life, and all its affairs, persons, politics, everything-and even as an influence of civilization-such chaps as Nast, and others whose names we would give, if we knew them-show that "in the hands of men entirely great," the burin too is mightier than the sword.Whitman's authorship is confirmed by an extant manuscript in Yale's Beinecke Library, which is nearly identical to the published piece.1 In particular, the manuscript reads as follows:Scores ofread proofcarefully & copyverbatim and punctuationIt has been good fun to-day seeing watchingobserving the groups gathered around Shillingtons,Beal's, Parker's, Robert Reill's, Bishop's, and theother periodical stores of the Avenue andSeventh street, to look at Nasts latest comicpictures, "the Tidal Wave" and the irresist-ible "Do you see any thing green in myeye?" Both are strokes of genius, and judging by Washington city, their the appreciation of this sort of thing is complete.Themotley crowds, by dozens and scores, big and little, old and young,white, black and brown, learned and illiterate,all made it plain enough exhibited "where the laugh came in,." by In fact it wasone general continual smile varied by guffaws,grins grins, and every known all forms of cachinnation. …