Walt Whitman

Born on May 31, 1819, on Long Island, Walt Whitman worked as a printer, teacher, journalist, and editor before becoming known as a poet. Those experiences kept him close to city streets, ordinary workers, and public life, all of which helped shape the democratic spirit of his writing.

Whitman published the first edition of Leaves of Grass in 1855 and spent the rest of his life revising and expanding it. The book broke with many poetic conventions of its time, using long rhythmic lines and a direct, open voice to explore the self, the body, nature, love, grief, and the promise of American democracy.

During the Civil War, he spent time caring for wounded soldiers in Washington, an experience that deepened the compassion and sorrow in his later work. He died on March 26, 1892, in Camden, New Jersey, but his influence has only grown, and he is still widely read as one of the poets who helped define a distinctly American literature.