Walt Whitman is considered one of the best and most influential of the 1800s and the Americas. Whitman's love for America and democracy is what truly made him into one of the best, even till this day, poets in the world.(Costanzo) Whitman had many poems about his life, the civil war, love, America, and many more. Whitman's poetry was heavily based on the period that he lived which was the civil war. Whitman uses poetry to reflect on his feelings, his life, and also his impact on the poetry in the Americas, these pieces include O Captain! My Captain!, Crossing Brooklyn Ferry and A Noiseless Patient Spider.

Walt Whitman's early life was fascinating. Whitman, born on May 31, 1819, Whitman was originally from Long Island(Costanzo). Whitman moved to Brooklyn when he was only six years old for his father to find work. Unfortunately, Whitman's father was not able to find work, because of this Whitman's father took him out of school and into work to make an income for the sizeable ten-person family. Whitman began to work at a Brooklyn attorney office when he was only eleven.

Whitman became a teacher at the age of seventeen, despite Whitman's passion for writing. Whitman still being young quit his teaching job and went back Long Island to become a journalist(Costanzo). However, Whitman just a few years later found himself without a job and went back to the city.(Costanzo) Whitman was hired for the Brooklyn Daily Newspaper as an editor and covered some controversial writing. This is what sparked Whitman's idea of becoming a writer. But this also came with a downfall due to these topics Whitman had a reputation and not a good one, Whitman kept losing his jobs due to these topics and was never financially or emotionally stable. Keep in mind Whitman was only about twenty-five in this period. Since Whitman was still very young, he was emotionally unstable throughout his late twenties early thirties. This can also be because many people believe that Whitman was bi-sexual or even homosexual. In 1800 being gay is very frowned upon so him not being able to tell someone must have taken a toll emotionally on Whitman.

Whitman's later life was very drama-filled and did a number on Whitman's family. Whitman in 1855 began and finished a poetry book named Leaves of Grass (Walt Whitman Biography). This let Whitman Find his true voice and style of writing(Walt Whitman Biography) Whitman's Family has split apart due to the civil war. In the year 1862 Whitman went to Fredericksburg to search for his brother George (Walt Whitman Biography). Whitman's Brother fought for the union and was being treated there for his injuries. Whitman moved to Washington, D.C. the next year and found part-time work in the paymaster's office, spending much of the rest of his time visiting wounded soldiers.(Walt Whitman Biography) The volunteering work that Whitman did changed his life(Walt Whitman Biography).

By his rough estimates, Whitman made 600 hospital visits and saw anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 patients. The work took a toll physically, but also propelled him to return to poetry. (Walt Whitman Biography) This did change his life, soon after his volunteer work, he released a collection known as Drum-Taps. This collection showed the civil war in all of its horror. Whitman showed people why war was hurting this country and not helping it, he made people realize the impacts that war has on families and relationships. Even after the war was over Whitman continued to help wounded veterans.

While doing this he met a young man named Peter Doyal, a young Confederate soldier and train car conductor. Whitman, who had a quiet history of becoming close with younger men amidst a time of great taboo around homosexuality, developed an instant and intense romantic bond with Doyle. (Walt Whitman Biography) During the mid-1860's Whitman had found a job in Washington as a clerk in the Indian Bureau of the Department of the Interior. He continued to pursue literary projects, and in 1870 he published two new collections, Democratic Vistas, and Passage to India, along with the fifth edition of Leaves of Grass.(Walt Whitman Biography) Whitman in 1873 suffered from a stroke which left half of his body paralyzed. A few months after the stroke he traveled to Camden, New Jersey (Walt Whitman Biography). Whitman in his final years was happy but also frustrated with his work, he knew his life was coming to an end and he wanted to continue working on all of his pieces Unfortunately, March 26, 1892, is when Whitman passed because of pleurisy.

In the very famous poem O Captain!My Captain! Whitman uses a lot of symbolism to show the civil war in all of its horror. Whitman greatly admired Abraham Lincoln. He wrote O Captain! My Captain!" in honor of the president in 1865, shortly after Lincoln's assassination. Whitman saw Lincoln as the greatest and most moral person in the country, (Hearst Seattle Media). Whitman praised Lincoln for being an average American who was able to unite this country, this is why Whitman chose Lincoln to be his captain (Hearst Seattle Media). In the first line of Whitman's work, the speaker says that he and his captain reached the end of the fearful trip, which is a reference to the Civil War. In the second and third stanzas, the speaker refers to Lincoln as his father, as though the late president's efforts had brought the country together as a family. (Hearst Seattle media) Whitman writes about his admiration for Lincoln, all of the stanzas include something that the speaker admires about his captain.

Not only did Whitman use the captain as symbolism, but he also used the ship which was weathered and torn in half. The ship in Whitman's poem symbolizes the United States. Just as a ship endures turbulent winds while on the water, the country survived the hardships and sacrifices of the Civil War. The speaker says that they won the prize that they sought during their voyage. The prize represents the peaceful reunification of the Northern and Southern states. (Hearst Seattle media) Both of these symbols are heald deep inside of Whitman's heart, The war has affected America and Whitman personally and he wants to show that in his work. The ship's anchor is also a significant symbol in the poem, it symbolizes the end of the civil war(Hearst Seattle media).

Whitman makes sure to show the end of the war to teach the reader that tomorrow will always be a better day and hardships might be here now but eventually, good times will come again. Another of the significant symbolism Whitman make sure the reader knows that the people in the second stanza who welcomed the ship are the people who supported and praised Lincoln and were happy that the most bloody war in American history was coming to an end (Hearst Seattle media).

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Walt Whitman

American poet, Walt Whitman was the first American Romanticism author to write in free-lance poetry. Whitman was not only distinguished as a poet, but according to the Academy of American Poets, was the premier, writer of democracy (Walt 3). Throughout the years, Whitman has been profoundly acknowledged for his works such as Drum Taps and The Leaves of Grass that were written during the Civil War era. Walt Whitman had a unique childhood that lead to a successful adulthood, and finally helped him to innovate American culture as society knows it today.

Whitman's childhood included various events that contributed to his successful future. On May 31st, 1819, in Long Island, New York, Walt Whitman was born to Walter Whitman and Louisa Van Velsor. He was the second child out of the eight surviving children in the Whitman and Velsor household. In addition, his childhood occurred during the great American Westward Expansion (Whitman). In 1823, Whitman at age three, moved to Brooklyn, New York with his family. However, between 1831 and 1836, Walt's father took him out of school to help out at home because they needed help keeping their mortgage.

His first job ever would be working as an office boy in New York City. At age twelve, Whitman learned the printing trade and, fell in love with the written word (Walt 2). While learning the printing trade, he familiarized himself with the Bible, Dante, Homer, and Shakespeare. Sadly, a few years later, a fire broke out in their town and demolished the printing trade in the area (Walt 2). In search of a new job, Whitman at seventeen years of age, became a teacher in a one room schoolhouse where he grew up in New Jersey. While teaching, Whitman started to pursue writing once again.

In his later years, Whitman took up the occupation of writing and publishing. He became most famous for being the first American Romanticism author to incorporate freelance writing into his poetry. Early into adulthood, Whitman stopped teaching for two years and founded the Long Islander Newspaper. Through this, Whitman published his well known works such as O Captain My Captain, and Drum Taps during and after the Civil War era. In 1861, the Civil War began, and with his immediate family having strong political views, his brother immediately joined the Union forces (Home). Tragically, in 1862, his brother was shot in battle by a confederate soldier and became critically injured and ill. Walt was promptly notified about his brother's injury, and swiftly made his way to the base camp where his sibling was being hospitalized. While visiting his brother, Whitman became familiar with the medical practices , and with quick training, became one of the few male nurses of the Civil War.

While learning the study of nursing, Whitman documented and wrote about his experiences during battle, and watched a myriad of soldiers march to their death in both the Union and Confederate Armies. Two days before the Civil War officially ended, President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Then, in 1865, Whitman published O Captain, My Captain, which was dedicated to celebrating Lincoln's life and to mourn his death. The first line in the poem from Whitman reads: O Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done (23). Explain Quote Here. Later after publishing the famous poem, in the 1860's to early 1870's, he went on to produce Drum Taps, the sequel of Drum Taps, and Memoranda During the War. Whitman got his inspiration for writing while being on the battle grounds as a nurse in the Civil War. However, before the War began, his first book ever published in 1855 was titled the Leaves of Grass. This collected works originally contained 12 poems, but over time with seven add on additions, grew to over 100's of articles (Timeline).

Not only was Leaves of Grass inspirational, but it also became extremely controversial due to the underlying themes of sexuality, humanity, nature, and the ideas which advocated for abolition and the abolishment of slavery. In great sadness over his father's' death in 1855, he later added poems and essays to the Leaves of Grass that were dedicated to his father through themes of the beauty and hastiness of life (Timeline). Towards the end of Whitman's life in 1887, he appears on stage in New York to give a lecture on President Lincoln (Timeline). Attendees included a countless amount of famous Americans such as Mark Twain, and other significant authors from the time. Then, in 1890, Whitman's last edition of the Leaves of Grass was published , and is known today as his Deathbed edition. For, in 1892, Whitman suffered from his second stroke that severely damaged his spine which ultimately led to his death. He was buried in his hometown cemetery in New Jersey, USA. After Walt's death, the Library of Congress collected most of his valuables and selected works making them the largest holder of his articles/books (Walt 3).

America, not just founded and innovated by the founding fathers, but by its unique literature, modern art, and writing styles, has all been greatly innovated by Walt Whitman. One of his main influences on culture would include that almost every magazine currently being published includes freelance writing of some sort. In the past, when Whitman founded the Long Islander Newspaper, he created the idea of freelance writing and implemented it into the foundation of the paper. After the newspaper successfully sold thousands of copies, other newspapers and magazines started using freelance writing to enhance the sales and repertoire of their publishing companies. Overtime, the style of writing struck and impressed many people.

Presently, Whitman quotes are references in many modern day theatricals such as the television show, Breaking Bad and the all time cult classic, Dead Poets Society. Whitman's presence in society and culture proves that he is still extremely influential in many categories, not just American literacy. Whitman's political views involving abolitionist and humanitarian work has influenced and sparked a change in the country's belief system throughout the decades. Through this, it is easily concluded that Walt Whitman may very well be one of the most intriguing and influential American authors of his time.

In conclusion. Walt Whitman was an inspirational American author during and after his life. Whitman had a unique childhood that ended up leading into a successful education for his future as a freelance writer/poet. Some of Whitman's most inspiring works include the Leaves of Grass, While Lilacs in the Dooryard Bloom'd, Drum Taps, O Captain, My Captain, and Memoranda During the War. After his death in 1892, his works and inspirational quotes have gone on to inspire modern day literature as well as the modern day lifestyle.

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It is his subversive poetry that challenged the antiquated traditions and conservative ideals associated with literature; because of this, Walt Whitman is arguably the most important poet of the American Romantic.

Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist during the 19th century. As a humanist, he was part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, and incorporated both views of thought into his work. Contemporary historians have cited Whitman as among the most influential poets in American edict -- often called the father of free verse. In the early 19th century, free verse had yet to exist -- American poetry descended from a long line of European tradition that dictated content, style, and form. Anything other than that was quickly dismissed as somewhat of an amphigory.

Whitman believed that the American poet did not elevate himself above the commoner -- he didn't hold to tradition for tradition's sake, and most importantly, he did not identify with Europe, its people or its society. Unfortunately, his ideals contradicted everything about modern America poetry and American poets -- who traditionally adhered rigidly to a definite verse structure or set of characteristics. Consequently, when he published the first edition of Leaves of Grass in 1855, he was virtually a nobody.

Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting Leaves of Grass, revising it constantly before his death. He paid for the publication of the first edition of Leaves of Grass himself, after receiving high praise from Ralph Waldo Emerson, to whom he sent a complimentary copy (at the time seen as a bold move, but now a common promotional strategy). He even went so far as to anonymously publish reviews of his own work in several other newspaper, for which he was scrutinized.

Sex and sexuality have dominated Leaves of Grass from the very beginning and have shaped the course of its reception. Its first edition, containing Song of Myself, The Sleepers, and I Sing the Body Electric, which incorporated themes (though not exclusively) of homoeroticism (manly love), and sexual love, (Whitman, Song of Myself) with heavy emphasis on intensely passionate attraction and interaction, as well as bodily contact -- he describes a lover settl[ing] your head athwart my hips and gently turn'd over upon me, And parted the shirt from my bosom-bone, and plunged your tongue to my bare-stript heart, (Whitman, Song of Myself, section 5).

Whitman defined himself as the poet of the Body and the poet of the Soul -- he equated the two, and argued that a sexual experience was essentially a spiritual experience. Although he had never called direct attention to this element of his work, in one of his anonymous reviews, he wrote of himself: ?The body, he teaches, is beautiful. Sex is also beautiful... Sex will not be put aside; it is a great ordination of the universe. He works the muscle of the male and the teeming fibre of the female throughout his writings, as wholesome realities, impure only by deliberate intention and effort.'

However, Whitman and his poetry were not well-received by all. Leaves of Grass was highly controversial during its time for its explicit imagery, and Whitman was subject to derision by many critics. His poetry was regarded by many as obscene -- Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a famous abolitionist, wrote It is no discredit that Walt Whitman that he wrote Leaves of Grass, only that he not burn it afterwards, . Critic Rufus Wilmot Griswold wrote an issue of The Criterion, a New York-based literary magazine at the time, categorizing Whitman as a filthy free lover, and condemning his work guilty of that horrible sin not to be mentioned by Christians, -- homosexuality.
Evidently, Whitman's delight for discussion of sensual pleasures during Victorian America when such candid displays were considered immoral, faced incredible controversy.

During the 1800's, particularly between 1837-1901, the strict beliefs of procreation only and pervasive gender roles were revitalized. Many people born into the Victorian age were both uniformed and emotionally frigid about sexual matters. Having sexual desires was nigh solely identified with men and women of lower classes -- prostitutes. When a women did experience sexual desire, she was thought to have a disease. Even male masturbation was alleged to cause a wide range of physical and mental diseases. These strict views on gender and sex have become what we now refer to as the Victorian stereotype.

It is very important to contextualize Whitman's Song of Myself in order to understand why its ostensibly raunchy passages are so revolutionary. Whitman was a pioneer in his field -- nobody else dared to write about such private matters in such a public manner, and the scrutiny and hate he received are testimony to the importance of his work. Whitman dared to breach many of the rigid cultural norms that American had adhered to for generations. And perhaps it is his audacity and boldness that has made his poetry and his legacy so enduring.

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