A Literary Hero What makes a poet spectacular? Some people say that a poet needs a good educational background. Well in this poets case it’s almost the exact opposite. Walt Whitman was a poet with a light educational background, he was enrolled in school until he was 11, and from then on he was self-taught. It is said that, “At a young age he fell in love with the written word and his fans fell in love with his work” (Mark Heftier). Whitman is an inspiration to many; he proved that greatness comes in many ways, shapes, and forms. Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, Long Island; to a working class family. He was the second of nine children. In his very young …show more content…
A Literary Hero What makes a poet spectacular? Some people say that a poet needs a good educational background. Well in this poets case it’s almost the exact opposite. Walt Whitman was a poet with a light educational background, he was enrolled in school until he was 11, and from then on he was self-taught. It is said that, “At a young age he fell in love with the written word and his fans fell in love with his work” (Mark Heftier). Whitman is an inspiration to many; he proved that greatness comes in many ways, shapes, and forms. Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, Long Island; to a working class family. He was the second of nine children. In his very young years of his life he grew up in New York. At that time it was still developing into a big city. Whitman had many jobs, he worked as a journalist, a teacher, a government clerk, and on the side in addition to publishing his poetry he was a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War. Later on in Whitman’s life he moved back to New York and became an editor.
“Whitman claimed that after years of competing for the usual rewards he was determined to become a poet,” (Cambridge University Press, 1996). At first he experimented with a variety of literary genres that would appeal to people’s tastes of the period, although, he intended to write an American epic and used free verse based on the Bible. In 1850, he began writing poetry that would
People of all kinds are influenced by their everyday life and it shows in their work. Walt Whitman is no exception to this rule. Whitman was born in 1819
His father was a carpenter, farmer and a freethinking deist and had a reasonable impact on Whitman's thinking. His father was also abusive and most likely an alcoholic. On the other hand, his mother was a Dutch Quaker with whom Walt shared a close relationship. He grew-up during a time when America was growing, making integral decisions that would shape the country's future. His mother helped him through all these times.
Walt Whitman was an American poet whose free verse brought a new style and uniqueness to American poetry. “Free verse is poetry organized according to the cadences of speech and image patterns rather than according to a regular metrical scheme. The meter is irregular and its rhythms are based on patterned elements such as sounds, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, rather than on the traditional units of metrical feet” (“Free Verse Encyclopedia” 1). You can see his free verse style through his literary works such as “Leaves of Grass” and “Song of Myself”.
After the Civil War, Walt Whitman realized that the American people were in need of their own identity. Therefore, he wrote the book “Leaves of Grass” with the goal of creating a literature piece that was authentic and organic to the United States in every sense. Whitman introduced to literature the idea of the “American Dream” and highlighted how important it was for the American people to develop their own identity. Consequently, he rejected the European writing styles and adapted the use of free-verses to his writing, making it a popular writing style in American poetry. Whitman valued of humanity, nature and spirituality. Therefore, he joined the Transcendental literary movement and
There have been numerous poets with great work. Many have been successful. But what makes a poet stand out from the others? These are a few reasons why I believe Walt Whitman deserves recognition for being different. I I think Walt Whitman is a unique poet because he put all his effort and true feelings into his work, he wasn't afraid to write about topics that could potentially upset others, and through all his struggles and triumphs he continued to send a good message to people.
Biography: Paragraph 1: Walter Whitman Jr. born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, Long Island, New York and his mother name was Louisa Vanvesor and she was Dutch
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow became one of the most beloved poets because of his exceptional writing skills and has largely impacted America today in many ways. The way in which he presented his style within his writings is unique and remarkable, and the reason why he is widely popular. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was one of America’s most prolific poets of his time, and helped shape American character through his manipulation of the English language.
Walt Whitman was one of the best literary figures of that time and through history because people still love his books. After Whitman stopped writing he decided to become a nurse during the Civil War. His most famous book was Leaves of Grass; it is now a trademark book through history. He also wrote about the potential freedom in America.
Walt Whitman was born in 1819 in Long Island but moved to live in New Jersey where he spent most of his life. He was known as an American poet and journalist. He expressed himself in poetry by describing his life and American lives as a poem. His first published poem was Leaves of Grass in 1855, which later became known as Song of Myself. Ezra Pound was born in 1885 and died in Venice Italy, 1972. He was an American poet that criticized other poems and worked with other novelist and poets to help shape their work. Pound wrote an essay explaining his thoughts and opinions on Whitman’s poem. Pound believed that Whitman was a writer who developed a new style of writing. He describes Whitman as a writer who was not
The Transcendentalist writer was raised in a intensely patriotic family which could have helped shape his viewpoint on life. He is also an inspiration for many since he started working at a job he detested, and ended up having the life and career he dreamed of. His works followed a free verse structure, and although it may not seem it, they have a meticulous set up. Also, as Whitman grew older, and the world around him changed, so did his writing. He soon lost his inspiration, which subsequently shortened his works.
Walt Whitman was a man of many talents. His work allows the reader to assume his carefree lifestyle throughout his life and also throughout his content. Growing up, Whitman had many jobs, but the nursing of wounded soldiers ultimately influenced his writing. Whitman was very passionate about this job, but the dying men that surrounded
Walt Whitman grew up in Brooklyn, New York with his nine brothers and sisters. He liked writing, by the time he was twenty he loved the boom town atmosphere of Brooklyn and got into journalism. After ten years he decided to go down to New Orleans for a little break. He started journalism in New Orleans at the New Orleans Crescent. Then he went back to Brooklyn and wrote at Brooklyn Freedom.
Walt Whitman is the first generation of Americans who were born in the newly formed United States and grew up in the stable existence of the new country. Pride was apparent throughout the newly formed nation, and it definitely showed within his family. “Walt Sr.-after giving his first son Jesse(1818-1870) his own father's name, his second son his own name, his daughter Mary(1823-1899) the name of Walt's maternal great grandmothers, and his daughter Hannah(1823-1908) the names of his own mother-turned to the heroes of the Revolution and the War of 1812 for the names of his other three sons: Andre Jackson Whitman(1827-1863), George Washington Whitman(1829-1901), and Thomas Jefferson Whitman(1833-1890).”(Price) The only child who was not tied to the family crest nor the country's history was the youngest son, Edward. Unfortunately Edward was physically and mentally handicapped. Walt's traditional educational journey proved to not be as impactful as some might have thought. “In Whitman's school, all the students were in the same room, except African Americans, who had to attend a separate class on the top floor. Whitman had little to say about his rudimentary formal schooling, except that he hated corporal punishment, a common practice in schools and one that he would
Walt Whitman is considered by many to be one of the greatest poets of the nineteenth century. Whitman grew up in New York and was a member of a large family, having eight siblings. Only four of these siblings lived to adulthood. His father was an alcoholic, which led to Whitman becoming more like a father-figure than a brother to his siblings. Whitman quit school at the age of eleven. He then worked as a journalist, as a carpenter, as a teacher, and as an editor before focusing on poetry. Whitman is most well-known for his book of poems, Leaves of Grass. Whitman could not find a publisher interested in his poems; therefore, he published them himself. Whitman rereleased this collection of poems several times, each time with the addition of
Walt Whitman, a civil war nurse was a self-taught poet in the 1800s. Whitman is known for using lists, anaphora, free verse, and other literary devices in his poems. In his works, he focuses on American workers, diversity, transcendent approaches to nature, and individualism. “Song of Myself,” a poem written by Whitman, explores themes of nature, sex, democracy, and spirituality. Whitman uses nature to fuel his creativity in using grass as a symbol of comparison to life by using imagery, metaphors, and analogies.