American Icons: ‘Leaves of Grass’

His book was first viewed as bizarre and obscene — one reviewer said that the author should be publicly flogged. But revising and adding to the book until his death, Whitman accomplished his goal, creating a new Bible for American poets.

Poet Matt Miller reveals a secret to the making of this unprecedented work.

An original copy of "Leaves of Grass," published in 1855, is displayed at the New York Public Library

Credit:

Chip East/Reuters

(Originally aired September 27, 2013)