Walt Whitman
Who was Walt Whitman?
American poet, essayist and journalist (1819–1892)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Walt Whitman (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Walter Whitman Jr. (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist, widely known as one of the most important figures in American literature. Born in Huntington on Long Island, New York, Whitman spent much of his early life and career in Brooklyn. He's often called the father of free verse and played a major part in forming a distinct American voice in poetry. His work was influenced by both transcendentalism and realism, and he wrote openly about the human body, democracy, and nature, which shocked and inspired readers alike.
Whitman left school at age 11 to start working. Over the years, he worked as a printer's apprentice, a journalist, a teacher, and eventually a government clerk. These various jobs exposed him to a broad range of American society and shaped the democratic spirit famous in his writing. His self-published 1855 poetry collection Leaves of Grass marked his arrival as a major literary voice. The book was unconventional in form and content, sparking both criticism and praise. Ralph Waldo Emerson, however, praised it highly, calling it the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom America had produced.
During the American Civil War, Whitman went to Washington, D.C., where he volunteered in military hospitals, caring for soldiers from both sides. This experience deeply influenced his poetry, which began to focus on themes of suffering, mortality, and national healing. He also developed a strong admiration for President Abraham Lincoln. After Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, Whitman wrote several elegies, including the famous poem 'O Captain! My Captain!' and the more complex 'When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd.' He later gave a series of lectures on Lincoln's legacy.
Whitman continued to revise and add to Leaves of Grass throughout his life, creating multiple editions over nearly four decades. The collection grew from the original twelve untitled poems to include hundreds of works by the time of his death. After he suffered a stroke, he moved to Camden, New Jersey, where he spent his last years. His health continued to decline, but he stayed mentally active almost to the end. He died on March 26, 1892, at the age of 72. His funeral drew a lot of public attention, showing how much he had become a recognized national figure.
Before Fame
Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, in Huntington, Long Island, into a working-class family with English and Dutch roots. His father was a farmer and carpenter, and the family moved to Brooklyn when Whitman was still a child. He went to public school until he was 11, after which financial strain forced him to start working. He began as an office boy and later worked as a printer's apprentice, getting familiar with publishing and written language early on.
In his teens and twenties, Whitman worked in journalism and education in Long Island and New York City. He edited several newspapers, including the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and wrote poetry and prose for different publications. These years of writing for a wide audience, along with his extensive reading in literature, philosophy, and politics, set the stage for his ambitious poem collection, Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855.
Key Achievements
- Published Leaves of Grass in 1855, a groundbreaking poetry collection revised and expanded across nine editions throughout his lifetime
- Wrote 'O Captain! My Captain!' and other elegies mourning the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, which became among the most widely read American poems of the 19th century
- Pioneered the widespread use of free verse in American poetry, breaking from conventional meter and rhyme to create a new poetic form
- Served as a volunteer nurse and caregiver in Civil War hospitals in Washington, D.C., while producing poetry that documented the war's human cost
- Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2009 in recognition of his lasting contribution to American letters
Did You Know?
- 01.Whitman personally typeset portions of the first edition of Leaves of Grass in 1855 and published it at his own expense without listing his name on the title page.
- 02.He wrote an anonymous, highly favorable review of Leaves of Grass himself to help generate public interest in the collection.
- 03.During the Civil War, Whitman estimated that he made over 600 hospital visits and tended to some 80,000 to 100,000 wounded soldiers.
- 04.Whitman was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2009, more than a century after his death in Camden, New Jersey.
- 05.Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote an unsolicited letter to Whitman calling Leaves of Grass 'the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed,' a quote Whitman later had stamped in gold on the spine of the second edition without Emerson's permission.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Hall of Fame | 2009 | — |