ula . ▁Sto ker ▁rever ed ▁the ▁poet ▁upon ▁reading ▁William ▁Michael ▁Ros set ti ' s ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁presentation ▁of ▁his ▁po ems . ▁ ▁He ▁correspond ed ▁with ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁and ▁thr ice ▁visited ▁Whit man ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s . ▁The ▁Sto ker / Wh it man ▁L ocus ▁is ▁suggested ▁in ▁a ▁close ▁exam ination ▁of ▁Whit man ' s ▁celebrated ▁pa e ans ▁to ▁death ▁with ▁numerous ▁pass ages ▁from ▁Sto ker ' s ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁novel , ▁D rac ula . Wh it man ▁and ▁Gard ner ' s ▁Wit ness ▁to ▁War ▁exam ines ▁the ▁friendship ▁and ▁them atic ▁trop es ▁between ▁the ▁poetry ▁of ▁Whit man ▁and ▁the ▁portrait ▁and ▁war ▁phot ography ▁of ▁Alexander ▁Gard ner . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁his ▁research ▁he ▁discovered ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁Alexander ▁Gard ner ▁shared ▁a ▁distant ▁pro gen itor : ▁" I ▁went ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁a ▁photograph er ▁and ▁found ▁a ▁noble ▁k ins man ." ▁ ▁He ▁recently ▁finished ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁six ▁volumes ▁assemble d ▁under ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁W alt ▁Whit man ' s ▁Wh is per . ▁ ▁Volume ▁I : ▁Being ▁& ▁Time , ▁Volume ▁II : ▁ 3 6 ▁Sex ▁Po ems , ▁Volume ▁III : ▁ 2 5 ▁Dr um - T aps ▁Po ems , ▁Volume ▁IV : ▁Lil acs ▁& ▁Lincoln , ▁ ▁Volume ▁V : ▁Sea -