Whitman as Emerson's American Poet

The influence of Emerson on Whitman's work has been very interesting to me, especially in differenetiating their views in preparation for the midterm quiz.  Besides major stylistic differences, the two writers seem to posit many of the same transcendentalist philosophies.  While Whitman clearly admired Emerson and Emerson positively recognized Whitman's work, there is quite a bit of criticism denegrating the relationship between the two.

An 1856 review of Leaves of Grass from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (http://www.whitmanarchive.org/criticism/reviews/leaves1855/anc.00030.html) expresses horror at any comparison of the two.  The reviewer is clearly no fan of Whitman's, as he suggests that Whitman "should be sent to a lunatic asylum, and the mercenary publishers to the penitentiary for pandering to the prurient tastes of morbid sensualists". Meanwhile, the reviewer praises Emerson as "the head of the moral and solid people of Boston, and is simply disappointed in Emerson's recognition of Whitman's work at all.  The reviewer is very offended by Whitman's discussions of sexuality, but I must ask... Isn't that part of American life?

I didn't find the more suggestive stanzas of "Song of Myself" so overtly learning towards homosexuality that no argument could be made to the contrary.  America's illustrious population is evidence that mid-19th century Americans did not abstain from sexual activity completely — the things that so offended the Frank Leslie reviewer were part of American life, just not a normal part of American intellectual discourse. I can't find any indication that Emerson, in his call for an American poet, would have wanted a half-true glazing over. Whitman's willingness to allude to sensuality  (sometimes more blatantly) separates him from other writers at the time, and I would argue actually provides a more honest depiction.