The Letters of Hannah Whitman Heyde
Presentation Type
Poster
Keywords
Walt Whitman, Hannah Whitman Hyde, Leaves of Grass, American literature, 19th century American literature, poetry, correspondence, letters, transcription, Walt Whitman Archive
Department
English
Major
English
Abstract
Together, Caroline Kempe, Madison Neill, and Allan Spencer have worked with Dr. Maire Mullins since the beginning of the Fall 2014 semester to transcribe and digitize the correspondence between Walt Whitman’s sister, Hannah Whitman Heyde, and her relatives for publication on the online Walt Whitman Archive. Our contribution will make these letters, originally stored in files in the Library of Congress, available to scholars worldwide, providing valuable insight into the life and times of Walt Whitman, the great American poet. The goal of this project is to provide precise and accurate interpretations of the content of the letters and make them available to a larger audience. We also aim to improve understanding of Walt Whitman’s poetry through an enriched knowledge of his life and the lives of those close to him. These letters have presented unique challenges, and our team has collectively worked to decipher, transcribe, and interpret difficult letters from this woman, who often wrote in secrecy in an effort to hide her correspondence from an abusive husband. Her life provides valuable insight into Walt Whitman’s family and, therefore, his writing.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Maire Mullins
Funding Source or Research Program
Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative, Not Identified
The Letters of Hannah Whitman Heyde
Together, Caroline Kempe, Madison Neill, and Allan Spencer have worked with Dr. Maire Mullins since the beginning of the Fall 2014 semester to transcribe and digitize the correspondence between Walt Whitman’s sister, Hannah Whitman Heyde, and her relatives for publication on the online Walt Whitman Archive. Our contribution will make these letters, originally stored in files in the Library of Congress, available to scholars worldwide, providing valuable insight into the life and times of Walt Whitman, the great American poet. The goal of this project is to provide precise and accurate interpretations of the content of the letters and make them available to a larger audience. We also aim to improve understanding of Walt Whitman’s poetry through an enriched knowledge of his life and the lives of those close to him. These letters have presented unique challenges, and our team has collectively worked to decipher, transcribe, and interpret difficult letters from this woman, who often wrote in secrecy in an effort to hide her correspondence from an abusive husband. Her life provides valuable insight into Walt Whitman’s family and, therefore, his writing.