"Leaving the M/other: Whitman, Kristeva, and Leaves of Grass traces the integral role of the "mother" throughout Whitman's canon. The text demonstrates that redefining "mother" allows for a more nuanced reading of the maternal presence in the successive editions of Leaves of Grass. Beth Jensen's analysis suggests that limiting "mother" to "biological mother" or even to "female" is too restrictive since Whitman's "mother" seldom appears as either.".

"Leaving the M/other develops a striking parallel between Whitman's poetry and Kristeva's theory with close readings of poems published from 1855 to 1881. At the root of the analysis is the metaphor of the ocean."--BOOK JACKET.