Walt Whitman Biography Essay

Walt Whitman was an American poet whose free verse brought a new style and uniqueness to American poetry. “Free verse is poetry organized according to the cadences of speech and image patterns rather than according to a regular metrical scheme. The meter is irregular and its rhythms are based on patterned elements such as sounds, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, rather than on the traditional units of metrical feet” (“Free Verse Encyclopedia” 1). You can see his free verse style through his literary works such as “Leaves of Grass” and “Song of Myself”.

Walt Whitman is a renowned American poet. He served as an example for all to follow. He put thoughts into peoples head. Whitman was very influential and had a very big effect on people. Langston Hughes was also a very influential American poet. He was known for changing others opinion of race and making their oppression evident to others. Hughes was very influenced by Whitman and he caused him to want to make a difference in people's thoughts on his race. Whitman wrote a poem called I Hear America Singing and some people believe that it influenced Hughes poem, I, Too, Sing America. Hughe builds on Whitman's poems in these categories; structure and technique, themes, and effect on people and society.

Walt Whitman’s portfolio of poetry was a crucial staple in the American identity. Whitman used his poetry to contribute to the evolution of self-reliance, human freedom and concepts of democracy. These influences can be seen throughout all of his poems, but more relevantly in “Song of Myself”, “For You O Democracy” and in “Live Oak, with Moss”. After analyzing these works thoroughly, Whitman has undeniably aided in the development of American identity and influenced many more American poets and literary authors. Whitman is able to influence his beliefs by creating personal connections in his poems that will resonate with his audience. During the time of Whitman, the Civil War was on the rise

Walt Whitman was an American poet, journalist and an essayist. He was concerned with politics throughout his life. He did not support the growing state of slavery and often showed his opinions in his work. “The man’s body is sacred and the woman’s body is sacred, No matter who it is, it is sacred—is it the meanest one in the laborers’ gang? Is it one of the dull-faced immigrants just landed on the wharf? Each belongs here or anywhere just as much as the well-off, just as much as you, Each has his or her place in the procession”

Walt Whitman is one of the most influential writers in American History. Although greatly unappreciated in his time, Whitman’s works were truly groundbreaking and served as the basis to usher in a completely new literary movement. Growing up and writing in a era of American History of immense change on numerous spectrums, Walt Whitman’s literary works explored many of these new concepts and ideologies brought forward during this time. As possibly the most important poet of the American Romantic movement, Walt Whitman’s poetry such as “For You O Democracy” and “I Sing the Body Electric” exemplified resurging and new found American ideals stemming from the events of the early to mid nineteenth century. With economic, physical, ideological,

When Walt Whitman published the first edition of Leaves of Grass it was received with a wide variety of reactions. From critics to fellow poets the reactions to his first volume were often admiring, but also dubious. This pattern continued with each of the six editions of Leaves.

Walt Whitman was a revolutionary poet who let his emotions run free through his poetry. Whitman was never afraid to express himself no matter how inappropriate or offensive his emotions might have seemed at the time. This is why Whitman's poem still echo that same sentiment and emotion today almost as loudly as when the drums were first tapped.

All Alone      Walter Whitman was an American poet of the 1800’s. Walt was arguably one of America’s influential and innovative poets of his time. Whitman began work as a printer and journalist in the New York City area. He wrote articles on politics, civics, and the arts.

The basic meanings of Whitman’s poems are very relevant to what he was facing at the time. As a nurse in the Civil War, he saw many young, dedicated people die for what they believed in. He respected these soldiers, and felt that their deaths should have meaning. Whitman’s poems relate to his ideas that a democracy is built from individuals, and that each individual has a purpose. Although death is an inevitable, Whitman sees all lives as immortal. The legacy people leave behind when they die is something that the poet respected

Walt Whitman is considered by many to be one of the greatest poets of the nineteenth century. Whitman grew up in New York and was a member of a large family, having eight siblings. Only four of these siblings lived to adulthood. His father was an alcoholic, which led to Whitman becoming more like a father-figure than a brother to his siblings. Whitman quit school at the age of eleven. He then worked as a journalist, as a carpenter, as a teacher, and as an editor before focusing on poetry. Whitman is most well-known for his book of poems, Leaves of Grass. Whitman could not find a publisher interested in his poems; therefore, he published them himself. Whitman rereleased this collection of poems several times, each time with the addition of

Walt Whitman, termed “America’s most uneven great poet” by Tenney Nathanson, is one of America’s greatest poets. Born in 1819 in Long Island, Whitman lived during an era when sexuality, especially homosexuality, a term not coined until years later, was a taboo subject not to be discussed in public. Many of his

Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819. By the age of twelve “Whitman began to learn the printer’s trade, and fell in love with the written word,” (“Walt Whitman” 1). Later he found employment in journalism. He worked at different newspapers and founded one of his own; a weekly paper called the Long-Islander. In 1855 he began publishing his poetry and today is known as “America’s world poet,” (“Walt Whitman” 1). Whitman is a master of words and a capable commander in chief of the English vernacular. This ability to create masterpieces in just a few lines is evident in a poem he published in 1865 entitled When I Heard The Learn’d Astronomer. By employing vocabulary that has an immense amount of meaning he is able to bring the page to life and bring meaning to an inconsequential occurrence.

In his verses, Walt Whitman eradicates divisions of individual entities while simultaneously celebrating their unique characteristics. All components of the universe are united in a metaphysical intercourse, and yet, are assigned very distinct qualities so as to keep their identities intact. Often times, Whitman demonstrates these conceptions through elements of song. “Walt Whitman caroled throughout his verse. For the Bard of Democracy, as America came to call our great poet, music was a central metaphor in his life and work, both as a mindset and as a practical reality.” (Hampson) His musical poetry lyrically encompasses themes of social equality. Whitman enterprises a communion of persons

Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, Long Island New York. He was raised by his mother, Louisa Van Velsor, and father, Walter Whitman. His father was a home builder, and his mother stayed home and took care of her nine children. Growing up, Whitman was very ambitious and did a little bit of everything from working at a printing press when he was only twelve years old to teaching to journaling. He believed in anti-slavery during the Civil War and a lot of his journals reflected equality and telling us we are basically all the same. In 1855, he sent out his first edition of “Leaves of Grass” to be published but it was not received well by readers. After receiving negative feedback from it, Emerson sent him a letter praising it and Whitman rewrote a second edition which included Emerson’s letter of approval. Whitman continued working various jobs and ended up settling down in Camden, New Jersey where he looked after his dying mother. In his epic poem, “Song of Myself” he relays the theme that we are all the same and connected in the same unique way. It related to his culture during his time but, it is also very relevant to our culture today. He reminds us throughout the poem the importance of how we should accept each other in our communities.

Walter “Walt” Whitman was born May 31, 1819 in West Hills, NY to Walter Whitman and Louisa Van Velsor. Whitman was the second son of nine children and he grew up in a family of modest means who grew up assuming the concrete existence of their country, because they were of the first generation of Americans who were born in the newly formed United States. Whitman did not grow up with an especially affectionate father, he was a stern and rumored alcoholic, but he did have his mother whom he became quite close with and would have a reoccurring role for emotional support in his life.