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Classic Authors: Walt Whitman

© Susan Jensen

Walt Whitman spent the majority of his career perfecting his masterpiece, Leaves of Grass(1855). Although he toiled endlessly on the work, it received little admiration from the general public. Readers had difficulty with Whitman's radically experimental style, not to mention his open discussion of the body and homosexuality. Whitman's boldness left him with few readers and little money. Today, readers recognize him as a literary genius, although it still requires a great deal of effort to plow through the lengthy Leaves of Grass. Here is the poet's story . . .

Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in Long Island, New York. His father, Walter Whitman, worked as a carpenter, while his mother reared nine children. As a young man, Walt read voraciously, devouring Homer, Dante, Shakespeare and the Bible. He received little formal education. At 12 years of age, he began learning the printer's trade, which ignited his love of the written word. Walt worked as a printer in New York City until a fire in the printing district nearly destroyed the industry.

After his stint as a printer, Walt became a teacher in a 1-room Long Island schoolhouse. He taught for five years before embarking on a career as a journalist. He founded and edited several newspapers, and contributed articles, poems and short stories to newspapers and magazines. In light of Walt's later work, these early items are remarkable for their conventionality.

In 1842, Walt published Franklin Evans, which he wrote to promote temperance. It became quite popular although Whitman himself called it "rot." Not only did he support temperance, but he also aligned himself with the Free Soil movement, which opposed the spread of slavery to new territories.

In 1849, Walt left journalism to devote himself to running a bookstore and writing poetry. Six years later, Leaves of Grass made its first appearance. The premiere edition consisted of 12 untitled poems and a preface; Walt Whitman's name did not appear on the volume. Walt wrote anonymous reviews of his book, and sent copies of his masterpiece to writers such as Bronson Alcott, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Although not all of the recipients appreciated the gesture, Emerson did appreciate Walt's talent.

The next edition of Leaves emerged in 1856. The revised version contained 33 poems, a glowing review from Emerson and a long letter from Walt himself. Throughout his life, Walt continued to revise the book, publishing several more editions.

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