Order of Book Series
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Walt Whitman Books in Order

60 books are credited to Walt Whitman, published between 1842 and 2021; 43 of them appeared after Walt Whitman's death in 1892. The first book is Franklin Evans, or The Inebriate: A Tale of the Times (1842) and the newest is The World Below the Brine (2021). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
60
Published
1842–2021
Pages on record
8,879 in 47 of 60 books
Reading time
148–222 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 8,879 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 47 of 60 titles with a page count on record.

See all 60 books in order Printable Walt Whitman checklist
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Photo of Walt Whitman, author of the Walt Whitman Works series
George Collins Cox / Adam Cuerden / PD

Walt Whitman (Walter Whitman Jr., May 31, 1819 to March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist who also wrote two novels. Whitman drew on both transcendentalism and realism and is often called the father of free verse. Leaves of Grass (1855) drew charges of obscenity from some readers for its open sensuality. Born in Huntington on Long Island, Whitman grew up in Brooklyn and left school at 11 to work. The catalogue lists 60 books, including Franklin Evans, or The Inebriate (1842), Drum Taps (1865) and Oh Captain! My Captain! (1865).

Source: Wikidata

How many Walt Whitman books are there?

Walt Whitman has 60 books, released between 1842 and 2021. 43 of them were published after Walt Whitman's death in 1892. 38 of them belong to the Walt Whitman Works series.

Walt Whitman Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 60 Walt Whitman books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of November 2026.

  1. Cover of Franklin Evans, or The Inebriate: A Tale of the Times by Walt Whitman, book 1 of the Walt Whitman Works series
  2. Cover of Selected Letters of Walt Whitman by Walt Whitman (1855)
  3. Cover of Leaves of Grass and Other Writings by Walt Whitman (1855)
  4. Cover of Song of Myself by Walt Whitman, book 4 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1856)
  5. Cover of Guide to Manly Health and Training by Walt Whitman (1858)
  6. Cover of Oh Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman, book 6 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1865)
  7. Cover of Drum Taps by Walt Whitman, book 7 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1865)
  8. Cover of When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer by Walt Whitman, book 8 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1865)
  9. Cover of Democratic Vistas and Other Papers by Walt Whitman, book 10 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1871)
  10. Cover of Civil War Poetry and Prose by Walt Whitman, book 11 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1872)
  11. Cover of Specimen Days by Walt Whitman, book 12 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1882)
  12. Cover of Rivulets of Prose by Walt Whitman, book 17 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1928)
  13. Cover of I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman, book 18 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1966)
  14. Cover of Walt Whitman by Walt Whitman, book 1 of the Poetry for Young People series (1977)
  15. Cover of Selected Poems 1855-1892 by Walt Whitman (1980)
  16. Cover of Poetry and Prose by Walt Whitman (1982)
  17. Cover of Notebooks and Unpublished Prose Manuscripts: Volume I: Family Notes and Autobiography, Brooklyn and New York by…
  18. Cover of Memoranda during the War by Walt Whitman, book 23 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1988)
  19. Cover of Whitman: Poems by Walt Whitman (1994)
  20. Cover of I Sing The Body Electric by Walt Whitman, book 24 of the Walt Whitman Works series (1995)
  21. Cover of Memories of President Lincoln by Walt Whitman (1996)
  22. Cover of The Walt Whitman Reader by Walt Whitman (2000)
  23. Cover of Collect by Walt Whitman, book 25 of the Walt Whitman Works series (2004)
  24. Cover of The Mystic Poets by Walt Whitman, book 26 of the Walt Whitman Works series (2004)
  1. 1
    Franklin Evans, or The Inebriate: A Tale of the TimesWalt Whitman Works #11842 · 147 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1842147
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Life and Adventures of Jack EngleWalt Whitman Works #21852 · 156 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1852156
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Selected Letters of Walt Whitman1855 · 320 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1855320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Leaves of Grass and Other Writings1855 · 919 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1855919
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Leaves of GrassWalt Whitman Works #31855 · confirmed 1/4
    1855–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Song of MyselfWalt Whitman Works #41856 · 80 pages · confirmed 1/4
    185680
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Guide to Manly Health and Training1858 · 128 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1858128
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Manly Health and Training with Off-Hand Hints Towards Their ConditionsWalt Whitman Works #51858 · confirmed 1/4
    1858–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Oh Captain! My Captain!Walt Whitman Works #61865 · 16 pages · confirmed 1/4
    186516
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Drum TapsWalt Whitman Works #71865 · 60 pages · confirmed 1/4
    186560
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    When I Heard the Learn'd AstronomerWalt Whitman Works #81865 · confirmed 1/4
    1865–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Democratic Vistas: The Original Edition in FacsimileWalt Whitman Works #91871 · 143 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1871143
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Democratic Vistas and Other PapersWalt Whitman Works #101871 · 184 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1871184
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Civil War Poetry and ProseWalt Whitman Works #111872 · 90 pages · confirmed 1/4
    187290
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Specimen DaysWalt Whitman Works #121882 · 290 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1882290
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    November BoughsWalt Whitman Works #131888 · 148 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1888148
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    Alone on the Beach at NightWalt Whitman Works #141892 · confirmed 1/4
    1892–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    An American Primer: With Facsimiles of the Original ManuscriptWalt Whitman Works #151904 · 44 pages · confirmed 1/4
    190444
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    The Gathering of the ForcesWalt Whitman Works #161920 · confirmed 1/4
    1920–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Rivulets of ProseWalt Whitman Works #171928 · 226 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1928226
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    I Hear America SingingWalt Whitman Works #181966 · 95 pages · confirmed 1/4
    196695
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Lafayette in BrooklynWalt Whitman Works #191973 · confirmed 1/4
    1973–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    The Sleepers; A PoemWalt Whitman Works #201973 · 39 pages · confirmed 1/4
    197339
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    The Wound Dresser: A Series of Letters Written from the Hospitals in Washington during the War of the Rebellion1975 · 200 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1975200
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    New York dissected: A sheaf of recently discovered newspaper articles by the author of Leaves of grass1976 · 257 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1976257
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Walt WhitmanPoetry for Young People #11977 · 48 pages · confirmed 2/4
    197748
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Walt Whitman's Diary in Canada - With Extracts from Other of His Diaries and Literary Note-Books1977 · 78 pages · confirmed 1/4
    197778
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Pictures: An Unpublished Poem Of Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman Works #211977 · 37 pages · confirmed 1/4
    197737
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 30
    City of Orgies and Other Poems1980 · 64 pages · confirmed 1/4
    198064
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Walt Whitman books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.

Walt Whitman Works in order

38 books
  1. 1. Franklin Evans, or The Inebriate: A Tale of the Times
  2. 2. Life and Adventures of Jack Engle
  3. 3. Leaves of Grass
  4. 4. Song of Myself
  5. 5. Manly Health and Training with Off-Hand Hints Towards Their Conditions
  6. 6. Oh Captain! My Captain!
  7. 7. Drum Taps
  8. 8. When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
  9. 9. Democratic Vistas: The Original Edition in Facsimile
  10. 10. Democratic Vistas and Other Papers
  11. 11. Civil War Poetry and Prose
  12. 12. Specimen Days
  13. and 26 more in the table above

Poetry for Young People in order

2 books
  1. 1. Walt Whitman
  2. 28. Poetry for Kids: Walt Whitman

Standalone books

20 books

20 Walt Whitman titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Walt Whitman books in order?

You only need to read Walt Whitman books in order within the Walt Whitman Works series, which holds 38 of the 60 Walt Whitman books listed here. The numbered table above gives every book in publication order.

Where to start with Walt Whitman

Start with Franklin Evans, or The Inebriate: A Tale of the Times (1842), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Walt Whitman book?

The World Below the Brine (2021) is the newest Walt Whitman book released so far.

Is there a new Walt Whitman book coming?

No next Walt Whitman book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Walt Whitman at a glance

Died
Walt Whitman died in 1892, according to Wikidata.
After death
Books credited to Walt Whitman are still being published after Walt Whitman's death in 1892; the newest appeared in 2021.
Release pace
Walt Whitman books have appeared about one every 3 years on average.
Length
8,879 pages across the 47 of 60 books with a recorded length, a median of 128 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Walt Whitman books, 14 of 60, were published in the 2010s.

When Walt Whitman books were published

Publication distribution by decade, showing when Walt Whitman titles appeared. 2010s was the most productive decade with 14 titles.

1840s
1
1850s
7
1860s
3
1870s
3
1880s
2
1890s
1
1900s
1
1920s
2
1960s
1
1970s
8
1980s
6
1990s
4
2000s
4
2010s
14
2020s
3

60 books total across 15 decades. Decade reflects the year each title was first catalogued.

What the Walt Whitman books are about

35 of the 60 Walt Whitman books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: poetry is tagged on 11 of 35. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

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