This class consists of articles on Whitman's life and work, from early pieces by his friends and acquaintances, such as John Burroughs and Horace Traubel, to mid-twentieth century discussions of his influence and contemporary relevance. There are articles by various well-known writers, notably Algernon Charles Swinburne's famous outspoken criticism of Whitman's work, 'Whitmania' (1331/1/1/1). There is also an article by J.W. Wallace (1331/1/1/26), reflecting Sixsmith's involvement in the Bolton Whitman Fellowship. The articles include: reminiscences about Whitman's life; discussions of his poetry and ideas, such as his views on democracy and the American Civil War; pieces on Whitman's importance to early socialists; articles marking the centenary of his birth in 1919; foreign translations of his work; and studies of his influence on musicians, such as Ralph Vaughan Williams.
The material consists of entire periodicals - literary, political and general - in which the relevant articles have often been marked by Sixsmith or friends, cuttings from newspapers and periodicals, pamphlets, and offprints. Some periodicals contain articles on Whitman which have not been marked, although the volumes were clearly retained for their Whitman content. The publications come predominantly from Britain and America.
The Whitman article in 1331/1/1/31 is in French, and some of the journals contain other non Whitman-related pieces in French.