Leaves of Grass

Whenever I think of Leaves of Grass, I picture Wynona Rider-turned-Jo March quoting Whitman's "new" volume in the 1994 movie Little Women. If you haven't touched poetry since high school, pick up Whitman's earthshaking 1855 collection, which oozes with freshness and optimism. Starting points: "Song of Myself," "Song of the Open Road," "I Sing the Body Electric." Highly controversial in 1855: read it and decide for yourself.