alt Whitman was born in West Hills, Long Island, New York on May 31, 1819 (Kellman 2678). His family consisted of nine children from which he was the second. Him and his family moved to Brooklyn where he attended school until the age of eleven (2678). Although living close to poverty, he loved to wander outside and observe his surroundings and was also very fond of his country. “As he walked, he recorded in a notebook his impressions of the city’s sights, sounds, and intriguing cast of characters” (Chin 401). Using these notes, Whitman created what would soon become one of America’s greatest contributions to American Literature. Since Whitman was a great believer in gathering a wide range of experiences, he held a number of jobs. Such jobs
