Walt Whitman -
poetry in america

In 1855 Walt Whitman declared "The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem." Poetry In America celebrates the 200th anniversary of Walt Whitman's birth with Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, playwright Tony Kushner, poets Mark Doty and Marilyn Chin, and a chorus of National Student Poets, discussing Whitman's powerful and timeless work.

Episode Duration: 26 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 208

No future air times were found for this episode.

About Poetry In America:

The 12-part series POETRY IN AMERICA draws students of all ages into conversations about poetry.

Hosted by Harvard University professor Elisa New, each half-hour episode highlights the work of one distinguished poet (Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks) with a reading by an individual well known for accomplishments outside the humanities (actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, Grammy-Award winner Herbie Hancock; former vice president Joe Biden, and rapper/poet Nas), as well as a chorus of others, including: a chorus of pick-up basketball players, young naturalists at the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and students at the Parsons School of Design.

The fast-moving, beautifully shot series offers viewers a fully immersive experience in hearing, reading, and interpreting a single American poem.

Scholar Elisa New opens a conversation about poetry and encourages viewers at home to extend the discussion past the episode's end.

Watch Poetry In America - Clips, Episodes & Previews

This Your Home Now, by Mark Doty

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden

Fast Break by Edward Hirsch

Skyscraper by Carl Sandburg

Finishing the Hat, by Stephen Sondheim

The Wound-Dresser, by Walt Whitman

Future Broadcast times for "Poetry In America": (show all)

Sun, Apr 21	6:30 P.M.	Mushrooms, Weakness and Doubt NHPBS (11.1)
Sat, Apr 27	7:00 P.M.	Phillis Wheatley: to the University NH World (11.3)
Sat, Apr 27	7:30 P.M.	Six Years Later, Epitaph for a Centaur NH World (11.3)
Sun, Apr 28	6:30 P.M.	July In Washington NHPBS (11.1)
Mon, Apr 29	4:00 A.M.	Phillis Wheatley: to the University NH World (11.3)
Mon, Apr 29	4:30 A.M.	Six Years Later, Epitaph for a Centaur NH World (11.3)
Wed, May 1	5:00 A.M.	Phillis Wheatley: to the University NH World (11.3)
Wed, May 1	5:30 A.M.	Six Years Later, Epitaph for a Centaur NH World (11.3)
Wed, May 1	11:00 A.M.	Phillis Wheatley: to the University NH World (11.3)
Wed, May 1	11:30 A.M.	Six Years Later, Epitaph for a Centaur NH World (11.3)
Sat, May 4	7:00 P.M.	Mushrooms, Weakness and Doubt NH World (11.3)
Sat, May 4	7:30 P.M.	July In Washington NH World (11.3)
Sun, May 5	6:30 P.M.	Hill Country NHPBS (11.1)
Mon, May 6	4:00 A.M.	Mushrooms, Weakness and Doubt NH World (11.3)
Mon, May 6	4:30 A.M.	July In Washington NH World (11.3)
Wed, May 8	5:00 A.M.	Mushrooms, Weakness and Doubt NH World (11.3)