EURAMERICA Vol. 52, No. 3 (September 2022), 413-461 DOI: 10.7015/JEAS.202209_52(3).0002 http://euramerica.org Whitman’s Homotextuality, Homopolitics, and Homonationalism: A Case for Historicist Parallel Reading* TP PTP P Wei-cheng Chu Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, National Taiwan University E-mail: wcrchu@ntu.edu.tw Abstract This essay puts forth historicist parallel reading as a solution to the particular quandary facing anyone engaged in Walt Whitman studies, namely that almost antipodal views, rather than proximate agreements, still arise on any topic concerning the poet and his oeuvre. This essay seeks to demonstrate the efficacy of this reading strategy by focusing on three of Whitman’s interrelated core thematics. First, the homotextuality of Leaves of Grass is examined critically to show how it was generally misrecognized and, instead of being totally dismissed, should be relocated in the existence of a coded (and © Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica Received September 17, 2021; accepted March 21, 2022; last revised February 20, 2022 Proofreaders: Li-Ting Chao, Wen-Yu Tsai, Chia-Chi Tseng * The author wishes to thank the reviewers for their comments on the manuscript in its various versions, though not all of their insights could be incorporated here. While Whitman originally was not a part of the research project funded by the National Science Council (NSC 98-2410-H-002-187-MY3), this article should still be regarded as derived from the project and hence a part of its result.
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