Inside August 1890, Walt Whitman exposed an uncomfortable bit of enthusiast send. «In your conception out of Comradeship,» wrote British literary critic John Addington Symonds, «can you consider the new possible invasion of these partial-sexual attitude and you will measures and therefore undoubtedly do occur ranging from people?»

It’s a concern progressive critics features expected also — and several provides quite definitively replied it. «Walt Whitman and you may Homosexual Liberation are nearly associated for me,» published social historian Rictor Norton for the good 1999 article. Norton what to Whitman’s 1860 «Calamus» poems because a sort of future-aside page, full of contours such as these:

We know I enjoyed your, nevertheless have remaining more substantial emptiness than simply We ever understood your filled

Immediately following reading particularly verses, Symonds (whom after authored on the his own sexual event having men) should have been disappointed by Whitman’s react. «The calamus region enjoys actually allow’d the possibility of such as for example build as mention’d is actually awful,» Whitman replied, insisting you to Symonds was and make «morbid inferences — wh’ was disavow’d by me personally look damnable.»

It’s hard to assume any modern poet making reference to lying-in another man’s palms following getting in touch with homosexuality «damnable.» Although sort of exact same-intercourse closeness Whitman described — and you will liked for the real-world — are recognized during the time since the an organic section of heterosexuality. Whenever publishers performed censor Whitman’s works, it leftover the new «Calamus» poems intact and you can rather slash his descriptions from men-females interests. («Love-flesh lump and deliciously sore,» Whitman wrote, explaining a groom and bride on the wedding nights. «Unlimited limpid jets regarding love beautiful and large, quivering jelly off like, white-blow and you can delirious liquid.»)

[…]