Enthusiastically, Dawn

Did you know American poet Walt Whitman revised his book Leaves of Grass as many as 12 times? “He added new poems, named or renamed old ones, and, until 1881, repeatedly regrouped them. He developed the typography, appended annexes, reworded lines, and changed punctuation, making each edition unique.” (Source: Library of Congress) This is such a great comfort to me! I remember learning this years ago and being both encouraged and liberated by it. If a revered poet such as Whitman would feel the need to revise, re-edit even the smallest details of one of the most respected published poetry collections, how much more, this accidental, UNemerged still-learning, poet from Rhode Island? I still find oversights, grammatical errors, and or subtle shifts needed in phrases to clearly communicate the intended thought in much of my writing, often after I’ve shared or published publicly.