Literature Network » Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman

Content courtesy of

From: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
Date: 20080415
Author:

Walt Whitman (Walter Whitman), 1819-92, American poet, b. West Hills, N.Y. Considered by many to be the greatest of all American poets, Walt Whitman celebrated the freedom and dignity of the individual and sang the praises of democracy and the brotherhood of man. His Leaves of Grass, unconventional in both content and technique, is probably the most influential volume of poems in the history of American literature.

Early Life

Whitman left school in 1830, worked as a printer's devil and later as a compositor. In 1838-39 he taught school on Long Island and edited the Long Islander ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on Walt Whitman

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.