Biography
Walt Whitman (1819–1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American literature. A passionate advocate of democracy, individual freedom, and human rights, he is often called the father of free verse poetry. Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, in Long Island, New York, the second of nine children. His father was a carpenter, and in 1824 the family moved to Brooklyn, where he started a construction business. At the age of twelve, Whitman left school and apprenticed as a printer. Curious and intellectually restless, he spent countless hours reading poetry and literature in libraries while teaching himself through extensive study. As a young man, he wrote short stories and attempted to publish them in newspapers and magazines while supporting himself through various occupations, including schoolteacher, printer, and law clerk. He later founded the newspaper The Long Islander and worked as an editor, journalist, and publisher for several newspapers. Whitman also became involved in politics and played an active role in the Democratic Review, the official publication of the Democratic Party. In 1855, he published at his own expense the first edition of Leaves of Grass, the work that would become his life's masterpiece. The original edition contained twelve untitled poems. Whitman continually revised and expanded the collection throughout his life. The second edition contained twenty poems, while the third edition, published in 1860 by a commercial publisher, brought him wider recognition. Although conservative critics condemned the book as immoral, the controversy helped establish Whitman's reputation in literary circles. This edition included the controversial poem cycle Children of Adam, in which Whitman openly celebrated sexuality and expressed themes that many readers interpreted as reflecting his homosexuality. He refused to remove or repudiate the poems despite public criticism, a stance that contributed to his dismissal from a government position in Washington, D.C. During the American Civil War, Whitman traveled to the battlefield in 1862 after learning that his brother had been wounded. The experience exposed him firsthand to the suffering and devastation of war. These experiences inspired some of his most powerful works, including Drum-Taps, Sequel to Drum-Taps, and the prose collection Specimen Days. In 1868, a selection of his poems was published in London, where it received enthusiastic praise. Two years later he published Democratic Vistas, a collection of essays outlining his vision of democracy and the essential role literature should play in sustaining democratic society.In 1873, Whitman suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. He moved to Camden, New Jersey, where he lived with his beloved mother. Despite declining health, he continued writing and publishing. By this time he had become a celebrated literary figure, and in 1884 he purchased his own house in Camden. A second stroke further weakened him, yet he remained devoted to his work.
Whitman continued revising and expanding Leaves of Grass until it grew into a monumental volume containing nearly four hundred poems. The final authorized edition appeared in 1891 and represented the culmination of nearly four decades of artistic labor.
Walt Whitman died on March 26, 1892. He was buried in a tomb that he had designed himself. Inscribed upon it were lines reflecting his acceptance of mortality and eternity: My foothold is tenon'd and mortised in granite; I laugh at what you call dissolution, And I know the amplitude of time.