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Whitman's 'Salut Au Monde!' (Walt Whitman)

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From: The Explicator
Date: 19940922
Author:Murray, Robin L.

The editors of The Norton Critical Edition theorized in their footnote that Walt Whitman used his knowledge of the Hottentots in degrading the same. The tribe's name appears in Whitman's 'Salut Au Monde!' which was first published in 1856 along with the other poems in 'Leaves of Grass.' However, the existence of the Hottentots was already confirmed even before 1856 through several books published from 1820 to 1855. The editors may have possibly misread Whitman.

Through their footnote, the editors of The Norton Critical Edition have misrepresented the Hottentots and, perhaps, Whitman. They ...

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