Fifteen poets have created this guide to teaching the work of Walt Whitman from kindergarten to college level. In essays based on the personal experience of these imaginative writers, the guide presents practical ideas for fresh ways to read Whitman and to write poetry and prose inspired by him. The guide also includes three pieces on education by Whitman himself and a discussion of Whitman as a teacher. A Whitman resource section describes useful materials--books, magazines, audiotapes, videotapes, graphics, etc.--available for Whitman studies. Designed to be of use to writing and English teachers, as well as teachers of history, social studies, journalism, and ecology, the guide is also intended for general readers. Contributors to the guide include Allen Ginsberg, Kenneth Koch, Jim Berger, Larry Fagin, Dale Worsley, William Bryant Logan, Anne Waldman, Mark Statman, Bill Zavatsky, Ron Padgett, Langston Hughes, Gary Lenhart, Margot Fortunato Galt, Jack Collom, and Dave Morice. (SR)