Walt Whitman 31 May 1819 – 26 March 1892

Born 31 May 1819 in Long Island (Huntington, NY) – one of eight children, four of whom either went crazy or lived with a terrible disease. Schooled in Brooklyn so he knew both country and city life. Met Revolutionary War hero Lafayette when he was six – he saw this as an omen – the passing of the mantle from the soldier to the poet. Went to school until age 11 – worked as an office clerk and printer’s assistant.

Did not go to college but read and studied on his own (Sir Walter Scott, the Bible, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, and ancient Hindu poetry.) Became journalist at 20 – was editor of Brooklyn Eagle by 27, but was fired because of slavery opposition. Traveled down the current I-95 corridor to New Orleans for job at The Crescent – stayed only a few months before returning to NYC via the Mississippi, the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls – kept notebook of travels and wrote poetry.

1855 – published first edition of Leaves of Grass, his only major work – it contained 12 poems and was published at his own expense People were unused to free verse and did not like it. Whitman sent the book to authors he hoped would like and endorse the book including Emerson. Whitman published eight more editions of Leaves of Grass in the next 36 years. The ninth edition was published in 1891 and contained 383 poems.

Greatly impacted by the Civil War – worked as a nurse at field hospitals while searching for his injured brother. Had a reputation for sneaking candy, cookies and magazines in to patients. Whitman’s poetry is a reflection of himself and a study in contrasts: an artist, a saint, a con-artist, hobo, braggart, and shrinking violet. Died 26 March 1892 in his home in Camden, New Jersey.