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Walt Whitman

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American poet, essayist and journalist

Walt Whitman was an influential American poet known for his groundbreaking free verse and unconventional approach to poetry. His seminal work, ‘Leaves of Grass,’ was considered controversial at the time for its overt sensuality, but it has since cemented Whitman’s legacy as a pioneering figure in American literature.

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About the Walt Whitman

Walter Whitman Jr.was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature. Whitman incorporated both transcendentalism and realism in his writings and is often called the father of free verse. His work was controversial in his time, particularly his 1855 poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described by some as obscene for its overt sensuality.

Whitman was born in Huntington on Long Island and lived in Brooklyn as a child and through much of his career. At age 11, he left formal schooling to go to work. He worked as a journalist, a teacher, and a government clerk. Whitman’s major poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, was financed with his own money and became well known. The work was an attempt to reach out to the common person with an American epic. Whitman continued expanding and revising Leaves of Grass until his death in 1892.

During the American Civil War, he went to Washington, D.C., and worked in hospitals caring for the wounded. His poetry often focused on both loss and healing. On the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, whom Whitman greatly admired, he authored two poems, “O Captain! My Captain!” and “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”, and gave a series of lectures on Lincoln. After suffering a stroke towards the end of his life, Whitman moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his health further declined. When he died at age 72, his funeral was a public event.

Whitman’s influence on poetry remains strong. Art historian Mary Berenson wrote, “You cannot really understand America without Walt Whitman, without Leaves of Grass… He has expressed that civilization, ‘up to date,’ as he would say, and no student of the philosophy of history can do without him.” Modernist poet Ezra Pound called Whitman “America’s poet… He is America.” According to the Poetry Foundation, he is “America’s world poet–a latter-day successor to Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Shakespeare.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist considered one of the most influential poets in American literature. He incorporated both transcendentalism and realism in his writings and is often called the father of free verse.

Walt Whitman’s major poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, was an attempt to reach out to the common person with an American epic. Whitman continued expanding and revising Leaves of Grass until his death in 1892.

Walt Whitman’s influence on poetry remains strong, with art historian Mary Berenson stating that ‘You cannot really understand America without Walt Whitman, without Leaves of Grass.’ Modernist poet Ezra Pound called Whitman ‘America’s poet’ and the Poetry Foundation considers him ‘America’s world poetâ€”a latter-day successor to Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Shakespeare.’

Walt Whitman was born in Huntington on Long Island and lived in Brooklyn as a child and through much of his career. At age 11, he left formal schooling to go to work, later working as a journalist, a teacher, and a government clerk.

Whitman’s major poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855 and financed with his own money. Whitman continued expanding and revising Leaves of Grass until his death in 1892, with the work becoming well known during his lifetime.

During the American Civil War, Walt Whitman went to Washington, D.C., and worked in hospitals caring for the wounded. His poetry often focused on both loss and healing, and he authored two poems, ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ and ‘When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d,’ in response to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, whom Whitman greatly admired.

After suffering a stroke towards the end of his life, Walt Whitman moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his health further declined. He died at the age of 72, and his funeral was a public event.

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Walt Whitman

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About the Walt Whitman

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Walt Whitman?

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79 Quotes by Walt Whitman