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Song of the Open Road
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Song of the Open Road

poem by Whitman
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Article History

Song of the Open Road, poem by Walt Whitman, first published in the second edition of Leaves of Grass in 1856. The 15-stanza poem is an optimistic paean to wanderlust.

Whitman exalts the carefree pleasures of traveling, encouraging others to break free from their stifling domestic attachments to join him. Inspired by the expansive American landscape, he exhorts the reader to become his fellow traveler. Written in free verse, the poem is noted for its use of apostrophe, repetition, and exclamation.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.