The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-01
WALT WHITMAN.
An Interesting Interview With Distinguished
Poet
His Home. hi, Health, HIS Inesne-A Talk
About Poet, aud Poetry -8rJslt
Emerson. Whittier and
LonsfeliDU, Ftc.

about to go abroad t. visit Lord
TennySon ! fastened from New York
to Camden, \. j., to solicit an cnteryiew.
Camden i the alleged Brooklyn OF Phila-
dclphia II certainly is a, old-fashioned As
New York's great suburb. but not half 50
dirty After crossing the Delaware covered
with oil. asked the ferry-gate tender ii he
could direct me to Whitman'S residence.
'Residence.' echoed the old with
smile. ''why Lord bless you any one in these
part, could do that only faint residence.
it, little hit of house UP on Mickle street,
just big enough to sit in cnnywhere and spit
out of the Windows. You'll find il iu~t BE-
tween Third and Fourth streets.
The corner groccryman pointed cut low
two-Story frame house. which looked like q
ube with faces eighteen feet square.
The old paint on the Cupboard, might
have been olive-colored when put on in the
silurian age, and the window Sill> borderei
with white, were mounted with cld-fash-
toned green blinds. ~ passed one Of The
parlor windows to mount the riskety door
steps I saw small photograph Of Victor
Hugo, framed and bOrdered with mourning,
hanging in pane of glass. Then thought
of the numerous obituary accounts ot Hugo
throughout the English speaking world,
which had interviewer the two names to-
gether a. the opponents OF the most advanced
literature Of the two hemisphere>. young
woman. not over thirty years OF age, came to
the door.
She ushered me into a little parlor and
without taking my name. went upstairs 10
announce To the poet the arrival 81 q guest.
While waiting | glanced around the room
pf si.If all
toned type; there were the old wooden
rocking chairs with cane bottoms. the var
nished wooden chairs plain rag carpet and
Il dreadfully antique Fireplace. canary
sang with all his might. Piles Of papers and
magazines were stacked in chairs. on the
floors and stands Several oil paintings were
pendant To the walls-one OF the father and
one OF the neither of the p"et-the latter
showing a true Amsterdam Dutch woman.
from whom Whitman inherited most trait,
Oi character.
was interrupted in my investigation by q
sound of firm footsteps defending the mar
row stairs \ tall form appeared at the door
way, straight u an arrow and my hand was
cordially grasped. rhc poets hair and wills
kcr> were fieecy. shining, white and long; hiS
clothing was Of She simplest type-a suck
coat Of tweed and trousers of the same ma
tcrial, hand-kni1 hose. and low calf shoes of
granger type
'->it there in the easy rocker" began Mr..
Whitman in a clear musical voice. Il want
the light 10 shine on you. so that | can see
YOU while | talk. Yes; | am going tn visit
TennySOn very soon, hope When was in
Washington, during the war, he wrote to me,
inviting me to visit HIM i'm England. and be-
come his guest. A friendly correspondence
ensued, and we became very communicative.
In 1884 | was stricken with paralysis, and
our correspondence waS interrupted Since
then il has continued at intervals. am Il
great admirer OF Tcnnyson. and | can not
say that he ever put on record amy critical or
literary opinion of me. English visitors at
my little home bring messages from him
from time to time, 10y word OF mouth, of the
wasmest and most affcctionatc nature. | look
forward to my visit abroad with great expec-
tatiou
MY health? Well, although apparently
III health and spirits, ann really what
call myself half paralytic. and adhere
closely to my own home and rooms | have
numerous offers of assistance from abroad
but have no occasion for it. and i'm all such
eases decline with thanks. My income i
just sufficient to keep my head above water
and what more can Il poet ask? Wealth
and luxury would destroy my working force
A. II Is, ] am SiXty->eYcn years old and still
in the harness. writing from time to time. |
Will probably have a new volume out la the
course of the year. One Of.the titles | have
thought OF for it is. Sands OF Sixty-scyen.
The book will comprise Il number of poems
not hitherto published. various prose articles.
and will be of that melangc character for
which am criticised
What about the criticism? WHY [ may
say that il is certain that | do not and shall
not fail IN either my poetic or prose work to-
vigorously maintain the same principles on
account of which have keen 81 vigorously
attacked. My spirits and energies are. per-
hapS. more vigorous than ever and | think
|
lOus in my old age, but have more faith and
gaicty OF heart than in any former period of
my life. ] think my forthcoming writings
viii indicate this.
What about the poetry OF the future? oh.
! believe that America i going on her way
in the best method that is fitting To her The
great requisite is To- establish the basis of a
grand materialistic ciyilizatiOn-products
| machinery. intercommunication and all that
practical modern Improvements can achieve
equally spread over our vast domain
think that the things done during our exist
| ence aS people in the past century are lust
the best that could have been done Up0q,
these bases in the future and in good time
Will come AN intellectual literary and ar
tiStic development fitting for u While
am satisfied with the absorption 40 far OF for
eign literary ideals and contributions as
nutriment. yet | look forward To the time
when poetry and other great imaginative re-
a. becoming to them rs We're the aesthetic
products OF the classical ages al Greece ap-
prOpriate to such ages
Il am somewhat OF the opinion that Bos-
ton. New York and the Atlantic coast will be
but the stimulus or nursery of the great work
that may find their local origin in the West
have said to Others that Tire prairies offer
the suggestion of the grsndest imaginative
works have spent some portion. OF my life
on the Western prairies and among the Rocky
Mountains Several OF the poems / wrote
there II LEFT OUT % my works would be like
losing an eye. Sometimes | think my West
ern experiences aforce behind my life work.
Also tire battlefield? yes, | derived much
inspirations from such sources. A large part
of Leaves of Grass consists OF war poems
on variety of subjects. occurrences on the
field at night, or in the woods, pause, the
retreat, the topper of hot day in 4 crowded
hospital. squad OF cavalry crossing ford
and great variety of themes all iotted down
at the time and on the spot For three years
devoted my services 10 the sick and
wounded. my health and strength being all
the time perfect The scenes and sights
met with and of the most realistic descrip-