W. M. ROSSETTI.
_October_ 1867.
The Annotated Edition
W. M. ROSSETTI. by Walt Whitman
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This one-line poem — simply a date, "October 1867" — was penned by Whitman as a dedication to William Michael Rossetti, the British critic who supported Whitman's work in England.
- Poet
- Walt Whitman
- Themes
- friendship, identity, memory
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This one-line poem — simply a date, "October 1867" — was penned by Whitman as a dedication to William Michael Rossetti, the British critic who supported Whitman's work in England. It reflects a brief moment in time, a quiet acknowledgment of appreciation between two literary figures separated by the Atlantic. The poem itself is the gesture: just a name, a month, and a year.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
October 1867.
Editor's note
The entire poem is a timestamp — October 1867 — positioned beneath Rossetti's name as a title. Whitman included this as an inscription, probably in a copy of his work that he gifted or dedicated to W. M. Rossetti. This date signifies a moment of connection: Rossetti was busy curating his 1868 British selection of Whitman's poems at that time, and the inscription recognizes their transatlantic literary friendship. The poem appears to say very little at first glance, yet it captures a relationship in time much like a signature in a book — personal, intentional, and lasting.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
Quiet and intimate. There’s no rhetoric or grand statements — just the soft whisper of a personal dedication. The tone feels like a handshake captured on paper.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- The date (October 1867)
- A timestamp acts like a monument here. By noting the precise month and year, Whitman captures a moment of literary connection, implying that time is the medium that makes friendship and gratitude eternal.
- The name W. M. Rossetti
- Using just the name as the poem's title transforms a person into a subject deserving of poetic focus. It pays tribute to Rossetti not through grand accolades but through the straightforward act of naming — the most immediate way one person can acknowledge another.
- The inscription form
- A poem that serves solely as a dedication blurs the line between literature and personal correspondence. It implies that the most significant expressions often require no further explanation — simply writing the name and date can be the poem itself.
§06Historical context
Historical context
By October 1867, Walt Whitman had gained recognition as a significant, though still divisive, figure in American literature. William Michael Rossetti, a notable London critic and brother of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, had emerged as one of Whitman's key supporters overseas. Rossetti was busy editing a selected collection of Whitman's poems aimed at British readers, which was published in 1868 and introduced Whitman to a broader audience in England. This inscription poem captures that moment of literary connection across the Atlantic. Whitman felt a profound gratitude for Rossetti's backing during a time when his work was often dismissed or censored in the United States. The poem, which is more of a dated dedication, serves as a testament to a friendship that contributed to shaping Whitman's reputation internationally.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
That's the right question to ask. Whitman published it as a poem, which makes us see the date as part of the literary work, not just a side note. By reducing it to just a name and a date, he suggests that a moment of human connection — recognized, documented, shared — is inherently poetic. It serves as both a provocation and a poem.
William Michael Rossetti (1829–1919) was an English critic, editor, and writer. He was a member of the Pre-Raphaelite circle and the brother of painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti and poet Christina Rossetti. In 1868, he edited the first widely accessible British collection of Whitman's poems, playing a crucial role in introducing Whitman's work to a wider audience in Britain.
At home in America, Whitman's *Leaves of Grass* faced constant criticism for being obscene or morally risky. However, Rossetti's British edition introduced Whitman to an eager and supportive audience in England, even while many American critics remained largely opposed. This kind of support was crucial for Whitman as he shaped his own literary legacy.
Friendship and time are the two themes that resonate the most. The poem revolves around capturing a relationship at a particular moment — similar to how you might write a date inside a book you gift to someone special. Memory plays a role as well: the inscription serves to keep that moment alive.
October 1867 marked a significant phase in Rossetti's editorial efforts on the British Whitman selection. It's likely that Whitman penned this inscription during that period of collaboration. It's tough to determine if October has any deeper symbolic meaning beyond just the date — but Whitman had a keen awareness of the seasons, and autumn often brings its own connotations of reflection and the passage of time.
Whitman is well-known for his expansive poems like *Song of Myself*, which makes this brief one-line inscription seem unusual. However, he also penned numerous short dedicatory and occasional poems, particularly in the later editions of *Leaves of Grass*. He held the view that every human connection deserved to be documented, and this poem embodies that belief in its most extreme form.
Naming someone in a title shows dedication and acknowledgment. Whitman doesn’t go into detail about Rossetti or offer grand praises — he simply names him, which serves as a monument in its own right within the poem. The name takes center stage, and the date stands as the poem's sole commentary on that name: *this is when we met in this way*.
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