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Poetry in America

Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman

Season 2 Episode 8

In 1855 Walt Whitman declared “The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem.” Join host Elisa New as Poetry in America celebrates the 200th anniversary of Walt Whitman’s birth with Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, playwright Tony Kushner, poets Mark Doty and Marilyn Chin, and a chorus of National Student Poets, discussing Whitman’s powerful and timeless work.

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Explore Gwendolyn Brooks's poem with John McCain, Anna Deavere Smith, and other guests.
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Explore Robert Pinsky's poem with Stuart Weitzman, Johnson Hartig, and the poet himself.
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“What happens to a dream deferred?” Bill Clinton, Herbie Hancock, and others weigh in.
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Explore Ginsberg's poetry with Bono, US Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, and others.
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Explore Hayden's poem with Joe Biden, Elizabeth Alexander, Angela Duckworth, and others.
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Can basketball be poetic? NBA players Shaq, Pau Gasol, and Shane Battier weigh in.
I cannot dance opon my toes by Emily Dickinson
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25:29
Host Elisa New explores Emily Dickinson's poem with Cyntha Nixon, Yo-Yo Ma, and others.
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