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The Arts

ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½˜The great democratic voiceÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½™

(Department of Rare Books & Special Collections / Photo by J. Adam Fenster)

May 31 is the 200th anniversary of poet Walt WhitmanÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½™s birth, an event thatÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½™s being celebrated from his birthplace on Long Island to the Library of Congress to New York City, where itÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½™s . Rochester has a few ties of its own to the poet who contained multitudesÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½” holds some notable editions of his work, and prominent Whitman scholar Ed Folsom ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½™76 (PhD) has devoted his career to understanding WhitmanÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½™s influence and to making his work available for the digital age.

Two years ago, on the 125th anniversary of WhitmanÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½™s death, Folsom described WhitmanÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½™s legacy and how the poet offered ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½œa voice for the citizens of the country to aspire to.ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½�

A century and a quarter after his death, poet Walt WhitmanÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½™s voice still rings with urgency.