Comrade Whitman : From Russian to Internationalist Icon

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.