Walt Whitman Biography
Have you ever heard about Walt Whitman? Despite your answer, you should know some facts about that prominent author. That is why read and enjoy that brief life story of the essayist, poet, and journalist. Surfing the Internet, you can come across various biographies of the author, but we aim to present you only the brightest moments that will leave the positive reflection about the author. What is more, Walt Whitman is often regarded as a humanist who made an attempt to incorporate different ways of thinking in his works. Being called as a father of free verse, Whitman is considered to be one of the most influential poets of the United States.
Apart from his poetry activity, Walt Whitman was engaged in different areas of American social life. In fact, the author worked as a teacher, governmental clerk, and journalist. In addition, a significant part of his life, the author was deeply engaged in politics.
Childhood and Early Life
Walt was the second of nine children in The Whitmans’ family. His mother was named Louisa Van Velsor, and his father was Walter Whitman. The author was given a nickname ‘Walt’ so as he could be distinguished from his father, who was known as Walter Whitman as well. Being interested in politics, the poet’s father named three his sons after the most influential American leaders – Andrew Jackson, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. Walt Whitman had always regarded his childhood years as a restless and unhappy period.
The future poet concluded his formal schooling at the age of eleven. Being a teenager, Whitman sought employment to earn some money for his family. Firstly, he worked for two lawyers as an office boy. Then, Walt got an opportunity to work for the weekly newspaper edited by S.E. Clements, which is known as Patriot, edited by Samuel E. Clements.
When the poet turned 17, he worked as an educator in different parts of Long Island. In accordance with certain sources of information, his teaching career endured more than five years. However, in 1841, he set his sights on journalism again. In 1838, the author began working in a weekly, which was known as Long Islander. A few years later, Whitman returned to New York City. This city is considerably important in the biography of this prominent person since in the New York City Whitman continued his career in the area of journalism. In 1846, Whitman was given a chance to become the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
The poetry of Walt Whitman
One of the most famous publications of Walt Whitman is a collection of unnamed poems titled Leaves of Grass. The first edition of this poetry collections included only twelve poems. However, the author continues to work on this book during the entire his life. As a result, the final edition of Leaves of Grass included more than three hundred poems. Alcott described Whitman’ as ”Bacchus-browed, bearded like a satyr, and rank” while his voice was heard as “deep, sharp, tender sometimes and almost melting.”
Walt Whitman passed away on March 26, 1892, in Camden. Till the fall of the curtain, the author continued to work on his prominent book Leaves of Grass, which involved approximately three hundred poems. After his death, people remember Walt Whitman, and some contemporary authors published books about this prominent poet, essayist, and social activist. Among these books, we can find Walt Whitman’s America: A Cultural Biography (1995), by David S. Reynolds, and Walt Whitman: The Song of Himself (1999), by Jerome Loving. Walt Whitman built a large mausoleum in Camden’s Harleigh Cemetery, where an American author was buried after his death. Hope you enjoyed the storyline of such talented person. It goes without saying that each of us should read and be aware of the life of different gifted persons as we can follow the best example.