Walt Whitman Walt Whitman is known as one of the greatest poets in American history. His poetry was a significant trend of words and emotions which is why he is known as the father of free verse. Either published or not, Whitman had written thousands of poems and work in his life time. His most famous collection of poems was Leaves of Grass. He was a humanist and learned realism and transcendentalism at schools. Whitman didn’t just write poems, he was an essayist and journalist too and his great literature has changed the style we used today. Whitman lived through a tough time because of the Civil War. He didn’t participate in the war because he thought conflict and violence was horrible and he rather write poems, essays, and teach and
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However, in December 1862 his brother was injured in the war so he moved to Washington D.C. to take care of him. Before this Whitman visited New York City hospitals to help nurse injured soldiers. But since he noticed there were many soldiers with casualties, including his brother, he decided to stay there and help with other soldiers in need. He lived in the city for about eleven years and worked as a clerk for the Department of the Interior. But that soon came to an end when the secretary of the Department of the Interior, James Harlan, found out that Whitman was the poet behind Leaves of Grass. Harlan found the volume offensive and fired Whitman. After that, he got another job as a clerk but the salary didn’t pay much so he didn’t get by so easy. Any extra money he got he spent on supplies to help the wounded soldiers and sent money to his mother and his baseless brother. Sometimes fellow writers sent purses of money from both in the states and in England. Later, Whitman settled in Camden, New Jersey in the early 1870s to visit his dying mother at his brother’s house. But then Whitman took a big downfall when he suffered a stroke. In addition, Whitman could never go back to Washington D.C. so he stayed at his brother’s house until 1882 when he published his final version of Leaves of Grass which gave him enough money to buy a plain house in Camden. Whitman spent his last few years in that house revising his work and creating more poems and working on final additions of books. Sadly, Walt Whitman died on March 26, 1892. He was buried in a tomb he designed for himself in a lot of Harleigh
However, in December 1862 his brother was injured in the war so he moved to Washington D.C. to take care of him. Before this Whitman visited New York City hospitals to help nurse injured soldiers. But since he noticed there were many soldiers with casualties, including his brother, he decided to stay there and help with other soldiers in need. He lived in the city for about eleven years and worked as a clerk for the Department of the Interior. But that soon came to an end when the secretary of the Department of the Interior, James Harlan, found out that Whitman was the poet behind Leaves of Grass. Harlan found the volume offensive and fired Whitman. After that, he got another job as a clerk but the salary didn’t pay much so he didn’t get by so easy. Any extra money he got he spent on supplies to help the wounded soldiers and sent money to his mother and his baseless brother. Sometimes fellow writers sent purses of money from both in the states and in England. Later, Whitman settled in Camden, New Jersey in the early 1870s to visit his dying mother at his brother’s house. But then Whitman took a big downfall when he suffered a stroke. In addition, Whitman could never go back to Washington D.C. so he stayed at his brother’s house until 1882 when he published his final version of Leaves of Grass which gave him enough money to buy a plain house in Camden. Whitman spent his last few years in that house revising his work and creating more poems and working on final additions of books. Sadly, Walt Whitman died on March 26, 1892. He was buried in a tomb he designed for himself in a lot of Harleigh