The points of issue
The final authorized arrangement Whitman approved (the 'Deathbed edition'), David McKay, Philadelphia. Points: cancel title page dated 1891-'2 (the contents leaf is also a cancel); the 'A Backward Glance O'er Travel'd Roads' essay and the 'Sands at Seventy' and 'Good-Bye My Fancy' annexes; and Whitman's printed note affirming this as the authoritative text. Plain dark green cloth, spine lettered in gilt with title, author, and publisher.
Is this the true first?
This is the authoritative final-text issue, distinct from the many earlier editions and collected as Whitman's definitive arrangement. It was printed from the plates of the 1889 setting with annexes; verify the 1891-'2 cancel title page and the affirming note.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later McKay and other-publisher printings reuse the text; the genuine deathbed issue has the 1891-'2 cancel title page, the dark green cloth, and Whitman's affirming note.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Leaves of Grass ('Deathbed' edition, 1891–92) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The final authorized arrangement Whitman approved (the 'Deathbed edition'), David McKay, Philadelphia. Points: cancel title page dated 1891-'2 (the contents leaf is also a cancel); the 'A Backward Glance O'er Travel'd Roads' essay and the 'Sands at Seventy' and 'Good-Bye My Fancy' annexes; and Whitman's printed note affirming this as the authoritative text. Plain dark green cloth, spine lettered in gilt with title, author, and publisher.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. This is the authoritative final-text issue, distinct from the many earlier editions and collected as Whitman's definitive arrangement. It was printed from the plates of the 1889 setting with annexes; verify the 1891-'2 cancel title page and the affirming note.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later McKay and other-publisher printings reuse the text; the genuine deathbed issue has the 1891-'2 cancel title page, the dark green cloth, and Whitman's affirming note.
I have a first edition of Leaves of Grass ('Deathbed' edition, 1891–92) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.