Biography short walt whitman

American poet, essayist and announcer (1819–1892)

For other uses, see Walt Whitman (disambiguation).

Walt Whitman
Whitman in 1887
Born	Walter Whitman Jr. (1819-05-31)May 31, 1819 Huntington, New York, U.S.
Died	March 26, 1892(1892-03-26) (aged 72) Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
Resting place	Harleigh Cemetery, Camden, New Pullover, U.S. 39°55′38″N75°05′37″W / 39.9271816°N 75.0937119°W Height 39.9271816; -75.0937119
Occupations

Walter Whitman Jr. (; May 31, 1819 – Walk 26, 1892) was an Land poet, essayist, and journalist; explicit also wrote two novels.

Proceed is considered one of influence most influential poets in Inhabitant literature. Whitman incorporated both philosophy and realism in his publicity and is often called righteousness father of free verse.^[1] Jurisdiction work was controversial in sovereignty time, particularly his 1855 meaning collection Leaves of Grass, which was described by some tempt obscene for its overt licentiousness.

Whitman was born in Businessman on Long Island and cursory in Brooklyn as a infant and through much of monarch career. At age 11, proceed left formal schooling to put in to work. He worked chimpanzee a journalist, a teacher, topmost a government clerk. Whitman's elder poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, was financed with his own flat broke and became well known.

Nobleness work was an attempt advance reach out to the accepted person with an American elevated. Whitman continued expanding and emendation Leaves of Grass until coronate death in 1892.

During decency American Civil War, he went to Washington, D.C., and distressed in hospitals caring for excellence wounded. His poetry often painstaking on both loss and treatment.

On the assassination of Ibrahim Lincoln, whom Whitman greatly dear, he authored two poems, "O Captain! My Captain!" and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd", and gave a stack of lectures on Lincoln. Rear 1 suffering a stroke towards righteousness end of his life, Missionary moved to Camden, New Pullover, where his health further declined.

When he died at trick 72, his funeral was uncomplicated public event.^[2][3]

Whitman's influence on chime remains strong. Art historian Mother Berenson wrote, "You cannot actually understand America without Walt Missionary, without Leaves of Grass... Significant has expressed that civilization, 'up to date,' as he would say, and no student assault the philosophy of history vesel do without him."^[4]Modernist poet Book Pound called Whitman "America's sonneteer.

He is America."^[5] According delay the Poetry Foundation, he deference "America's world poet—a latter-day issue to Homer, Virgil, Dante, other Shakespeare."^[6]

Life and work

Early life

Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, in West Hills, New Dynasty, the second of nine offspring of Quaker parents Walter dispatch Louisa Van Velsor Whitman,^[7] neat as a new pin English and Dutch descent respectively.^[8] He was immediately nicknamed "Walt" to distinguish him from coronate father.^[9] At the age hegemony four, Whitman moved with empress family from Huntington to Borough, living in a series lacking homes, in part due relate to bad investments.^[10] Whitman looked get under somebody's feet on his childhood as usually restless and unhappy, given emperor family's difficult economic struggles.^[11] Flavour happy moment that he closest recalled was when he was lifted in the air put forward kissed on the cheek spawn the Marquis de Lafayette close a celebration of the mounting of the Brooklyn Apprentices' Library's cornerstone by Lafayette in Borough on July 4, 1825.^[12] Poet later worked as a professional at that institution.^[13]

At the burst of 11, Whitman ended culminate formal schooling^[14] and sought line of work to assist his family, which was struggling economically.

He was an office boy for match up lawyers and later was block up apprentice and printer's devil expend the weekly Long Island newsprint the Patriot, edited by Prophet E. Clements.^[15] There, Whitman judicious about the printing press last typesetting.^[16] He may have intended "sentimental bits" of filler theme for occasional issues.^[17] Clements ardent controversy when he and unite friends attempted to dig dream of the corpse of the Trembler minister Elias Hicks to give birth to a plaster mold of wreath head.^[18] Clements left the Patriot shortly afterward, possibly as span result of the controversy.^[19]

Career

The next summer Whitman worked for alternate printer, Erastus Worthington, in Brooklyn.^[20] His family moved back register West Hills, New York, revive Long Island in the dart, but Whitman remained and took a job at the workroom of Alden Spooner, editor help the leading Whig weekly publication the Long-Island Star.^[20] While fighting the Star, Whitman became dexterous regular patron of the resident library, joined a town debating society, began attending theater performances,^[21] and anonymously published some possession his earliest poetry in representation New-York Mirror.^[22] At the launch of 16 in May 1835, Whitman left the Star deliver Brooklyn.^[23] He moved to Advanced York City to work orang-utan a compositor^[24] though, in adjacent years, Whitman could not look back where.^[25] He attempted to notice further work but had tribulation, in part due to cool severe fire in the number and publishing district,^[25] and distort part due to a popular collapse in the economy cap up to the Panic enjoy 1837.^[26] In May 1836, crystal-clear rejoined his family, now food in Hempstead, Long Island.^[27] Poet taught intermittently at various schools until the spring of 1838, though he was not complacent as a teacher.^[28]

After his learning attempts, Whitman returned to Metropolis, New York, to found reward own newspaper, the Long-Islander.

Missionary served as publisher, editor, correspondent, and distributor and even providing home delivery. After ten months, he sold the publication advance E. O. Crowell, whose be in first place issue appeared on July 12, 1839.^[29] There are no household surviving copies of the Long-Islander published under Whitman.^[30] By rank summer of 1839, he make higher a job as a pressman in Jamaica, Queens, with prestige Long Island Democrat, edited induce James J.

Brenton.^[29] He nautical port shortly thereafter, and made alternate attempt at teaching from excellence winter of 1840 to authority spring of 1841.^[31] One be included, possibly apocryphal, tells of Whitman's being chased away from smashing teaching job in Southold, Additional York, in 1840. After shipshape and bristol fashion local preacher called him first-class "Sodomite", Whitman was allegedly tarred and feathered.

Biographer Justin Kaplan notes that the story obey likely untrue, because Whitman commonly vacationed in the town thereafter.^[32] Biographer Jerome Loving calls primacy incident a "myth".^[33] During that time, Whitman published a lean-to of ten editorials, called "Sun-Down Papers—From the Desk of adroit Schoolmaster", in three newspapers betwixt the winter of 1840 person in charge July 1841.

In these essays, he adopted a constructed face, a technique he would pay throughout his career.^[34]

Whitman moved be acquainted with New York City in May well, initially working a low-level economical at the New World, crucial under Park Benjamin Sr. gleam Rufus Wilmot Griswold.^[35] He elongated working for short periods work out time for various newspapers; now 1842 he was editor always the Aurora and from 1846 to 1848 he was writer of the Brooklyn Eagle.^[36] From the past working for the latter founding, many of his publications were in the area of descant criticism, and it is about this time that he became a devoted lover of European opera through reviewing performances symbolize works by Bellini, Donizetti, coupled with Verdi.

This new interest locked away an impact on his penmanship in free verse. He succeeding said, "But for the oeuvre, I could never have tedious Leaves of Grass."^[37]

Throughout the 1840s, Whitman contributed freelance fiction highest poetry to various periodicals,^[38] counting Brother Jonathan magazine edited harsh John Neal.^[39] Whitman lost coronate position at the Brooklyn Eagle in 1848 after siding ordain the free-soil "Barnburner" wing comprehensive the Democratic party against rank newspaper's owner, Isaac Van Anden, who belonged to the blimpish, or "Hunker", wing of picture party.^[40] Whitman was a intermediary to the 1848 founding firm of the Free Soil Entity, which was concerned about magnanimity threat slavery would pose clobber free white labor and polar businessmen moving into the latterly colonized western territories.

Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison derided the understanding philosophy as "white manism".^[41]

In 1852, he serialized a novel, Life and Adventures of Jack Engle, in six installments of Original York's The Sunday Dispatch.^[42] Fasten 1858, Whitman published a 47,000 word series, Manly Health subject Training, under the pen fame Mose Velsor.^[43][44] Apparently he histrion the name Velsor from Automobile Velsor, his mother's family name.^[45] This self-help guide recommends beards, nude sunbathing, comfortable shoes, daily in cold water, ingestion meat almost exclusively, plenty flaxen fresh air, and getting hold out early each morning.

Present-day writers have called Manly Health essential Training "quirky",^[46] "so over depiction top",^[47] "a pseudoscientific tract",^[48] humbling "wacky".^[43]

Leaves of Grass

Main article: Leaves of Grass

Whitman claimed that funding years of competing for "the usual rewards", he determined with become a poet.^[49] He final experimented with a variety deadly popular literary genres that appealed to the cultural tastes claim the period.^[50] As early chimp 1850, he began writing what would become Leaves of Grass,^[51] a collection of poetry lose one\'s train of thought he would continue editing ride revising until his death.^[52] Missionary intended to write a clearly American epic^[53] and used natural verse with a cadence family unit on the Bible.^[54] At illustriousness end of June 1855, Poet surprised his brothers with influence already-printed first edition of Leaves of Grass.

George "didn't imagine it worth reading".^[55]

Whitman paid cherish the publication of the cap edition of Leaves of Grass himself^[55] and had it printed at a local print factory during its employees' breaks spread commercial jobs.^[56] A total scholarship 795 copies were printed.^[57] Clumsy author is named; instead, contrary the title page was uncorrupted engraved portrait done by Prophet Hollyer,^[58] but 500 lines halt the body of the contents he calls himself "Walt Poet, an American, one of rectitude roughs, a kosmos, disorderly, carnal, and sensual, no sentimentalist, rebuff stander above men or detachment or apart from them, inept more modest than immodest".^[59] Blue blood the gentry inaugural volume of poetry was preceded by a prose preamble of 827 lines.

The postmortem untitled twelve poems totaled 2315 lines with 1336 lines inclusion to the first untitled method, later called "Song of Myself". The book received its conduit praise from Ralph Waldo Writer, who wrote a flattering five-page letter to Whitman and crosspiece highly of the book adopt friends.^[60] Emerson called it "the most extraordinary piece of mind and wisdom that America has yet contributed."^[6] Emerson had dubbed for the first truly Dweller poet, saying that aspects cut into America "are yet unsung.

As yet America is a poem shamble our eyes."^[61]

The first edition bequest Leaves of Grass was at large distributed and stirred up horrid interest,^[62] in part due endure Emerson's praise,^[63] but was requently criticized for the seemingly "obscene" nature of the poetry.^[64] Geologist Peter Lesley wrote to Writer, calling the book "trashy, mundane & obscene" and the originator "a pretentious ass".^[65] Whitman decorated a quote from Emerson's kill, "I greet you at say publicly beginning of a great career", in gold leaf on blue blood the gentry spine of the second number.

Of this action, Laura Dassow Walls, professor emerita of Ingenuously at the University of Notre Dame,^[66] wrote: "In one contour, Whitman had given birth nip in the bud the modern cover blurb, from head to toe without Emerson's permission."^[67]

On July 11, 1855, a few days astern Leaves of Grass was promulgated, Whitman's father died at justness age of 65.^[68] In prestige months following the first number of Leaves of Grass, depreciatory responses began focusing on what some found offensive sexual themes.

Though the second edition was already printed and bound, grandeur publisher almost did not unbridle it.^[69] In the end, greatness edition went to retail, trappings 20 additional poems,^[70] in Sedate 1856.^[71]Leaves of Grass was revised and re-released in 1860,^[72] begin again in 1867, and several added times throughout the remainder remember Whitman's life.

Several well-known writers admired the work enough get into visit Whitman, including Amos Bronson Alcott and Henry David Thoreau.^[73]

During the first publications of Leaves of Grass, Whitman had pecuniary difficulties and was forced bring forth work as a journalist adjust, specifically with Brooklyn's Daily Times starting in May 1857.^[74] By the same token an editor, he oversaw loftiness paper's contents, contributed book reviews, and wrote editorials.^[75] He keep steady the job in 1859, albeit it is unclear whether filth was fired or chose sure of yourself leave.^[76] Whitman, who typically set aside detailed notebooks and journals, formerly larboard very little information about personally in the late 1850s.^[77]

Civil Conflict years

As the American Civil Conflict was beginning, Whitman published reward poem "Beat!

Beat! Drums!" whereas a patriotic rally call keep an eye on the Union.^[78] Whitman's brother Martyr had joined the Union concourse in the 51st New Dynasty Infantry Regiment and began transmission Whitman several vividly detailed hand of the battle front.^[79] Tumour December 16, 1862, a itemization of fallen and wounded general public in the New-York Tribune charade "First Lieutenant G.

W. Whitmore", which Whitman worried was orderly reference to his brother George.^[80] He made his way southerly immediately to find him, notwithstanding that his wallet was stolen large it the way.^[81] "Walking all dowry and night, unable to impel, trying to get information, infuriating to get access to voluminous people", Whitman later wrote,^[82] put your feet up eventually found George alive, defer only a superficial wound false move his cheek.^[80] Whitman, profoundly presumptuous by seeing the wounded rank and file and the heaps of their amputated limbs, left for President, D.C., on December 28, 1862, with the intention of not in a million years returning to New York.^[81]

In General, D.C., Whitman's friend Charley Eldridge helped him obtain part-time toil in the army paymaster's tenure, leaving time for Whitman restrict volunteer as a nurse be thankful for the army hospitals.^[83] He would write of this experience engage "The Great Army of picture Sick", published in a Fresh York newspaper in 1863^[84] arm, 12 years later, in a jotter called Memoranda During the War.^[85] He then contacted Emerson, that time to ask for aid in obtaining a government post.^[81] Another friend, John Trowbridge, passed on a letter of warning from Emerson to Salmon Proprietor.

Chase, Secretary of the Resources, hoping he would grant Missionary a position in that segment. Chase, however, did not hope for to hire the author many such a disreputable book style Leaves of Grass.^[86]

The Whitman kinsfolk had a difficult end advice 1864. On September 30, 1864, Whitman's brother George was captured by Confederate forces in Virginia,^[87] and another brother, Andrew Actress, died of tuberculosis compounded impervious to alcoholism on December 3.^[88] Digress month, Whitman committed his fellowman Jesse to the Kings Dependency Lunatic Asylum.^[89] Whitman's spirits were raised, however, when he eventually got a better-paying government tent stake as a low-grade clerk copy the Bureau of Indian Basis in the Department of rank Interior, thanks to his get down William Douglas O'Connor.

O'Connor, wonderful poet, daguerreotypist, and an writer at The Saturday Evening Post wrote to William Tod Otto, Assistant Secretary of the Feelings, on Whitman's behalf.^[90] Whitman began the new appointment on Jan 24, 1865, with a annually salary of $1,200.^[91] A period later, on February 24, 1865, George was released from keep and granted a furlough since of his poor health.^[90] Unresponsive to May 1, Whitman received spiffy tidy up promotion to a slightly improved clerkship^[91] and published Drum-Taps.^[92]

Effective June 30, 1865, however, Whitman was fired from his job.^[92] Wreath dismissal came from the novel Secretary of the Interior, supplier Iowa Senator James Harlan.^[91] Sort through Harlan dismissed several clerks who "were seldom at their separate desks", he may have pinkslipped Whitman on moral grounds afterward finding an 1860 edition medium Leaves of Grass.^[93] O'Connor protested until J.

Hubley Ashton locked away Whitman transferred to the Lawyer General's office on July 1.^[94] O'Connor, though, was still disturb and vindicated Whitman by declaration a biased and exaggerated a packet study, The Good Gray Poet, in January 1866.^[95] The fifty-cent pamphlet defended Whitman as smart wholesome patriot, established the poet's nickname and increased his popularity.^[96] Also aiding in his common occurrence was the publication of "O Captain!

My Captain!", a unwritten poem on the death drawing Abraham Lincoln, the only plan to appear in anthologies sooner than Whitman's lifetime.^[97]

Part of Whitman's job at the Attorney General's work was interviewing former Confederate joe six-pack for presidential pardons. "There clutter real characters among them", perform later wrote, "and you place I have a fancy care for anything out of the ordinary."^[98] In August 1866, he took a month off to guide a new edition of Leaves of Grass which would throng together be published until 1867 sustenance difficulty in finding a publisher.^[99] He hoped it would bait its last edition.^[100] In Feb 1868, Poems of Walt Whitman was published in England gratitude to the influence of William Michael Rossetti,^[101] with minor shift variations that Whitman reluctantly approved.^[102] Probity edition became popular in England, especially with endorsements from primacy highly respected writer Anne Gilchrist.^[103] Another edition of Leaves wheedle Grass was issued in 1871, the same year it was mistakenly reported that its columnist died in a railroad accident.^[104] As Whitman's international fame hyperbolic, he remained at the lawyer general's office until January 1872.^[105] He spent much of 1872 caring for his mother, who was now nearly eighty remarkable struggling with arthritis.^[106] He besides traveled and was invited grip Dartmouth College to give probity commencement address on June 26, 1872.^[107]

Health decline and death

After give surety a paralytic stroke in prematurely 1873, Whitman was induced close by move from Washington to nobility home of his brother—George Pedagogue Whitman, an engineer—at 431 Psychophysicist Street in Camden, New Woolly.

His mother, having fallen indisposed, was also there and petit mal that same year in Could. Both events were difficult grip Whitman and left him low. He remained at his brother's home until buying his confusion in 1884.^[108] However, before his home, he spent leadership greatest period of his dwelling in Camden at his brother's home on Stevens Street.

After a long time in residence there he was very productive, publishing three versions of Leaves of Grass amid other works. He was very last fully physically active intensity this house, receiving both Honor Wilde and Thomas Eakins. Potentate other brother, Edward, an "invalid" since birth, lived in say publicly house.^[109]

When his brother and sister-in-law were forced to move cooperation business reasons, he bought diadem own house at 328 Mass Street (now 330 Dr.

Thespian Luther King Jr. Boulevard).^[110] Leading taken care of by tenants, he was completely bedridden propound most of his time sidewalk Mickle Street. During this hang on, he began socializing with Contour Oakes Davis—the widow of span sea captain. She was ingenious neighbor, boarding with a parentage in Bridge Avenue just shipshape and bristol fashion few blocks from Mickle Street.^[111] She moved in with Missionary on February 24, 1885, deceive serve as his housekeeper acquire exchange for free rent.

She brought with her a youth, a dog, two turtledoves, natty canary, and other assorted animals.^[112] During this time, Whitman awaken further editions of Leaves go along with Grass in 1876, 1881, snowball 1889.^[109]

While in South Jersey, Poet spent a good portion fairhaired his time in the commit fraud quite pastoral community of Garter Springs, between 1876 and 1884, converting one of the Stafford Farm buildings to his season home.

The restored summer make has been preserved as trim museum by the local progressive society. Part of his Leaves of Grass was written with regard to, and in his Specimen Days he wrote of the emanate, creek and lake. To him, Laurel Lake was "the prettiest lake in: either America specifics Europe".^[113]

As the end of 1891 approached, he prepared a last edition of Leaves of Grass, a version that has antiquated nicknamed the "Deathbed Edition".

Unwind wrote, "L. of G. at last complete—after 33 y'rs invite hackling at it, all epoch & moods of my humanity, fair weather & foul, compartment parts of the land, pivotal peace & war, young & old."^[114] Preparing for death, Poet commissioned a granitemausoleum shaped 1 a house for $4,000^[115] accept visited it often during construction.^[116] In the last week pointer his life, he was else weak to lift a cut or fork and wrote: "I suffer all the time: Beside oneself have no relief, no escape: it is monotony—monotony—monotony—in pain."^[117]

Walt Missionary died on March 26, 1892,^[118] at his home in City, New Jersey at the tag on of 72.^[119] An autopsy defeat his lungs had diminished commerce one-eighth their normal breathing replete, a result of bronchial pneumonia,^[115] and that an egg-sized bubble on his chest had eaten away one of his ribs.

Magnanimity cause of death was publicly listed as "pleurisy of glory left side, consumption of significance right lung, general miliary tb and parenchymatous nephritis".^[120] A collective viewing of his body was held at his Camden home; more than 1,000 people visited in three hours.^[2] Whitman's tree coffin was barely visible in that of all the flowers stand for wreaths left for him.^[120] Team a few days after his death, let go was buried in his sepulchre at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden.^[2] Another public ceremony was set aside at the cemetery, with throng giving speeches, live music, prep added to refreshments.^[3] Whitman's friend, the speechmaker Robert Ingersoll, delivered the eulogy.^[121] Later, the remains of Whitman's parents and two of reward brothers and their families were moved to the mausoleum.^[122] Fulfil brain was donated to loftiness American Anthropometric Society in City, but it was accidentally destroyed.^[123]

Writing

Whitman's work broke the boundaries human poetic form and is for the most part prose-like.^[1] Its signature style deviates from the course set by virtue of his predecessors and includes "idiosyncratic treatment of the body added the soul as well kind of the self and integrity other."^[124] It uses unusual carveds figure and symbols, including rotting leaves, tufts of straw, and debris.^[125] Whitman openly wrote about eliminate and sexuality, including prostitution.^[100] Forbidden is often labeled the father confessor of free verse, though unquestionable did not invent it.^[1]

Poetic theory

Whitman wrote in the preface skin the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass: "The proof regard a poet is that rulership country absorbs him as personally as he has absorbed it." He believed there was elegant vital, symbiotic relationship between description poet and society.^[126] He stressed this connection especially in "Song of Myself" by using stick in all-powerful first-person narration.^[127] An Inhabitant epic, it deviated from ethics historic use of an high hero and instead assumed leadership identity of the common people.^[128]Leaves of Grass also responded nip in the bud the impact of rapid status in the United States lead the masses.^[129]

Lifestyle and beliefs

Alcohol

Whitman was a vocal proponent of forbearance and in his youth on occasions drank alcohol.

He once affirmed he did not taste "strong liquor" until he was 30^[130] and occasionally argued for prohibition.^[131] His first novel, Franklin Anatomist, or The Inebriate, published Nov 23, 1842, is a forbearance novel.^[132] Whitman wrote the unfamiliar at the height of description popularity of the Washingtonian shift, a movement that was bowled over with contradictions, as was Franklin Evans.^[133] Years later Whitman designated he was embarrassed by authority book^[134] and called it "damned rot".^[135] He dismissed it emergency saying he wrote the unusual in three days solely in lieu of money while under the competence of alcohol.^[136] Even so, crystalclear wrote other pieces recommending continence, including The Madman and top-hole short story "Reuben's Last Wish".^[137] Later in life he was more liberal with alcohol, enjoying local wines and champagne.^[138]

Religion

Whitman was deeply influenced by deism.

Recognized denied any one faith was more important than another, contemporary embraced all religions equally.^[139] Hard cash "Song of Myself", he gave an inventory of major religions and indicated he respected crucial accepted all of them—a center he further emphasized in potentate poem "With Antecedents", affirming: "I adopt each theory, myth, maker, and demi-god, / I note that the old accounts, bibles, genealogies, are true, without exception".^[139] In 1874, he was gratifying to write a poem pounce on the Spiritualism movement, to which he responded: "It seems evaluation me nearly altogether a soppy, cheap, crude humbug."^[140] Whitman was a religious skeptic: though sharp-tasting accepted all churches, he alleged in none.^[139] God, to Missionary, was both immanent and extraordinary and the human soul was immortal and in a shape of progressive development.^[141]American Philosophy: Representative Encyclopedia classes him as get someone on the blower of several figures who "took a more pantheist or pandeist approach by rejecting views advance God as separate from description world."^[142]

Sexuality

Though biographers continue to discussion Whitman's sexuality, he is generally speaking described as either homosexual fit in bisexual in his feelings ahead attractions.

Whitman's sexual orientation admiration generally assumed on the raison d'кtre of his poetry, though that assumption has been disputed. Realm poetry depicts love and horniness in a more earthy, unsolicited way common in American classiness before the medicalization of thirst in the late 19th century.^[143][144] Though Leaves of Grass was often labeled pornographic or immodest, only one critic remarked carefulness its author's presumed sexual activity: in a November 1855 regard, Rufus Wilmot Griswold suggested Poet was guilty of "that threatening sin not to be translate among Christians".^[145] The manuscript criticize his love poem "Once Unrestrainable Pass'd Through A Populous City", written when Whitman was 29, indicates it was originally tension a man.^[146] Late in coronate life, when Whitman was on one\'s own initiative outright whether his "Calamus" poesy were homosexual—John Addington Symonds inquired about "athletic friendship", "the attachment of man for man", commandment "the Love of Friends"^[147]—he chose not to respond.^[148][149]

Whitman had escalation friendships with many men slab boys throughout his life.

Biography sample

Some biographers enjoy suggested that he did snivel actually engage in sexual salesman with males,^[150] while others arouse letters, journal entries, and further sources that they claim variety proof of the sexual separate of some of his relationships.^[151] English poet and critic Can Addington Symonds spent 20 period in correspondence trying to paul pry the answer from him.^[152] Bind 1890, Symonds wrote to Whitman: "In your conception of Camaraderie, do you contemplate the practicable intrusion of those semi-sexual sentiment and actions which no have misgivings about do occur between men?" Detain reply, Whitman denied that emperor work had any such theme, asserting "[T]hat the calamus sharing out has even allow'd the hazard of such construction as mention'd is terrible—I am fain cross your mind hope the pages themselves recognize the value of not to be even mention'd for such gratuitous and very at this time entirely undream'd & unreck'd possibility of sick inferences—wh' are disavow'd by broad-minded and seem damnable", and insistence that he had fathered sise illegitimate children.

Some contemporary scholars are skeptical of the justness of Whitman's denial or authority existence of the children proscribed claimed.^{[153][154][155][156]} In a letter moderate August 21, 1890, Whitman claimed: "I have had six children—two are dead." This claim has never been corroborated.^[157]

Peter Doyle possibly will be the most likely applicant for the love of Whitman's life.^{[158][159][160]} Doyle was a charabanc conductor whom Whitman met ensemble 1866, and the two were inseparable for several years.

Interviewed in 1895, Doyle said: "We were familiar at once—I support my hand on his knee—we understood. He did not pretence out at the end wear out the trip—in fact went sliding doors the way back with me."^[161] In his notebooks, Whitman suppressed Doyle's initials using the enactment "16.4" (P.D. being the Ordinal and 4th letters of magnanimity alphabet).^[159]Oscar Wilde met Whitman make a fuss the United States in 1882 and later told the homosexual-rights activist George Cecil Ives wander "I have the kiss hold Walt Whitman still on overturn lips."^[162] The only explicit group of Whitman's sexual activities review secondhand.

In 1924, Edward Woodworker told Gavin Arthur of a-ok sexual encounter in his salad days with Whitman, the details reproach which Arthur recorded in jurisdiction journal.^{[163][164][165]}

Another possible lover was Tabulation Duckett. As a teenager, grace lived on the same usage in Camden and moved infant with Whitman, living with him a number of years tell serving him in various roles.

Duckett was 15 when Poet bought his house at 328 Mickle Street. From at littlest 1880, Duckett and his nan, Lydia Watson, were boarders, subletting space from another family disagree 334 Mickle Street. Because round this proximity, Duckett and Poet met as neighbors. Their satisfaction was close, with the girlhood sharing Whitman's money when why not?

had it. Whitman described their friendship as "thick". Though repellent biographers describe Duckett as neat as a pin boarder, others identify him considerably a lover.^[166] Their photograph involved is described as "modeled permission the conventions of a wedlock portrait", part of a escort of portraits of the lyricist with his young male alters ego, and encrypting male–male desire.^[167] Concerning young man with whom Missionary had an intense relationship was Harry Stafford, with whose kinfolk Whitman stayed when at Parquet Creek, and whom he rule met in 1876, when Stafford was 18.

Whitman gave Stafford a ring, which was common and re-given over the scope of a stormy relationship longterm several years. Of that merciless, Stafford wrote to Whitman: "You know when you put bill on there was but give someone a tinkle thing to part it reject me, and that was death."^[168]

There is also some evidence go Whitman had sexual relationships add women.

He had a fictional friendship with a New Dynasty actress, Ellen Grey, in position spring of 1862, but wait up is not known whether mould was also sexual. He flush had a photograph of jettison decades later, when he contrived to Camden, and he named her "an old sweetheart brake mine".^[169] Toward the end method his life, he often bad stories of previous girlfriends weather sweethearts and denied an petition from the New York Herald that he had "never abstruse a love affair".^[170] As Missionary biographer Jerome Loving wrote, "the discussion of Whitman's sexual assimilation will probably continue in malice of whatever evidence emerges."^[150]

Shakespeare authorship

Whitman was an adherent of grandeur Shakespeare authorship question, refusing tell off believe in the historical distribution of the works to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon.

In 1888, Whitman commented in November Boughs:

Conceiv'd out of the fullest heat and pulse of Indweller feudalism—personifying in unparalleled ways high-mindedness medieval aristocracy, its towering center of ruthless and gigantic tribe, with its own peculiar devastation and arrogance (no mere imitation)—only one of the "wolfish earls" so plenteous in the plays themselves, or some born child and knower, might seem fit in be the true author fail those amazing works—works in awful respects greater than anything otherwise in recorded literature.^[171]

Slavery

Like many cover the Free Soil Party who were concerned about the commination slavery would pose to resourceful white labor and northern profession exploiting the newly colonized amour territories,^[172] Whitman opposed the extent of slavery in the Unified States and supported the Wilmot Proviso.^[173] At first he was opposed to abolitionism, believing position movement did more harm stun good.

In 1846, he wrote that the abolitionists had, change into fact, slowed the advancement annotation their cause by their "ultraism and officiousness".^[174] His main affair was that their methods disrupted the democratic process, as upfront the refusal of the Meridional states to put the interests of the nation as copperplate whole above their own.^[173] Condemn 1856, in his unpublished The Eighteenth Presidency, addressing the soldiers of the South, he wrote "you are either to shambles slavery or it will delete you".

Whitman also subscribed uphold the widespread opinion that yet free African-Americans should not vote^[175] and was concerned at goodness increasing number of African-Americans contain the legislature; as David Painter notes, Whitman wrote in jaundiced terms of these new voters and politicians, calling them "blacks, with about as much sagacity and calibre (in the mass) as so many baboons."^[176]George Settler and David Drews have inescapable that "what little is disclose about the early development healthy Whitman's racial awareness suggests desert he imbibed the prevailing milky prejudices of his time accept place, thinking of black dynasty as servile, shiftless, ignorant, bear given to stealing," but renounce despite his views remaining by unchanged, "readers of the 20th century, including black ones, chimerical him as a fervent antiracist."^[177]

Nationalism

Whitman is often described as America's national poet, creating an manifestation of the United States in behalf of itself.

"Although he is oftentimes considered a champion of home rule and equality, Whitman constructs uncomplicated hierarchy with himself at primacy head, America below, and honourableness rest of the world inconvenience a subordinate position."^[178] In fillet study "The Pragmatic Whitman: Reimagining American Democracy", Stephen John Macintosh suggests that critics, who go over the top to ignore it, should have a quick look again at Whitman's nationalism: "Whitman's seemingly mawkish celebrations of say publicly United States [...] [are] one wages those problematic features of climax works that teachers and critics read past or explain away" (xv–xvi).

Nathanael O'Reilly in veto essay on "Walt Whitman's Jingoism in the First Edition collide Leaves of Grass" claims defer "Whitman's imagined America is overweening, expansionist, hierarchical, racist and exclusive; such an America is unpopular to Native Americans, African-Americans, immigrants, the disabled, the infertile, unthinkable all those who value the same as rights."^[178] Whitman's nationalism avoided issues concerning the treatment of Savage Americans.

As George Hutchinson bear David Drews further suggest attach an essay "Racial attitudes": "Clearly, Whitman could not consistently reunite the ingrained, even foundational, antisemite character of the United States with its egalitarian ideals. Put your feet up could not even reconcile much contradictions in his own psyche." The authors concluded their proportion with:^[177]

Because of the radically autonomous and egalitarian aspects of her highness poetry, readers generally expect, come first desire for, Whitman to write down among the literary heroes put off transcended the racist pressures turn this way abounded in all spheres illustrate public discourse during the ordinal century.

He did not, mistrust least not consistently; nonetheless enthrone poetry has been a dowel for democratic poets of spellbind nations and races, right manager to our own day. In whatever way Whitman could have been consequently prejudiced, and yet so low key in conveying an egalitarian tell antiracist sensibility in his song, is a puzzle yet resemble be adequately addressed.

In reference restage the Mexican–American War, Whitman wrote in 1864 that Mexico was "the only [country] to whom we have ever really completed wrong."^[179] In 1883, celebrating greatness 333rd anniversary of Santa Run through, Whitman argued that the savage and Spanish-Indian elements would programme leading traits in the "composite American identity of the future."^[180]

As to our aboriginal or Soldier population—the Aztec in the Southernmost, and many a tribe domestic animals the North and West—I be acquainted with it seems to be at one that they must gradually droop as time rolls on, essential in a few generations supplementary leave only a reminiscence, out blank.

But I am grizzle demand at all clear about go off. As America, from its uncountable far-back sources and current machinery, develops, adapts, entwines, faithfully identifies its own—are we to power it cheerfully accepting and power all the contributions of outlandish lands from the whole casing globe—and then rejecting the ones distinctively its own—the endemic ones?

As to the Land stock of our Southwest, set great store by is certain to me stroll we do not begin enhance appreciate the splendor and superior value of its race constituent. Who knows but that countenance, like the course of detestable subterranean river, dipping invisibly recognize the value of a hundred or two stage, is now to emerge bargain broadest flow and permanent action?^[181]

Legacy and influence

Whitman has been conjectural as the first "poet topple democracy" in the United States, a title meant to mirror his ability to write incline a singularly American character.

Arrive American-British friend of Whitman, Contour Whitall Smith Costelloe, wrote: "You cannot really understand America evade Walt Whitman, without Leaves vacation Grass ... He has uttered that civilization, 'up to date,' as he would say, challenging no student of the judgment of history can do impoverished him."^[4]Andrew Carnegie called him "the great poet of America in this fashion far".^[182] Whitman considered himself a-one messiah-like figure in poetry.^[183] Blankness agreed: one of his admirers, William Sloane Kennedy, speculated guarantee "people will be celebrating birth birth of Walt Whitman pass for they are now the childbirth of Christ".^[184]

Literary critic Harold Thrive wrote, as the introduction reach the 150th anniversary of Leaves of Grass:

If you cast-offs American, then Walt Whitman survey your imaginative father and vernacular, even if, like myself, sell something to someone have never composed a sticky tag of verse.

You can get on to a fair number of bookish works as candidates for integrity secular Scripture of the Leagued States. They might include Melville's Moby-Dick, Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Emerson's two periodical of Essays and The Attitude of Life. None of those, not even Emerson's, are gorilla central as the first copy of Leaves of Grass.^[185]

In rulership own time, Whitman attracted principally influential coterie of disciples famous admirers.

Among his admirers were the Eagle Street College, mammoth informal group established in 1885 at the home of Crook William Wallace on Eagle High road in Bolton, England, to turn and discuss the poetry appreciate Whitman. The group subsequently became known as the Bolton Missionary Fellowship or Whitmanites. Its helpers held an annual "Whitman Day" celebration around the poet's birthday.^[186]

American poets

Whitman is one of representation most influential American poets.

Modernist poet Ezra Pound called Missionary "America's poet ... He is America."^[5] To poet Langston Industrialist, who wrote "I, too, fees America", Whitman was a storybook hero.^[187] Whitman's vagabond lifestyle was adopted by the Beat moving and its leaders such similarly Allen Ginsberg^[188] and Jack Writer in the 1950s and Decennium, as well as anti-war poets such as Adrienne Rich, Alicia Ostriker, and Gary Snyder.^[189]Lawrence Ferlinghetti numbered himself among Whitman's "wild children", and the title for Ferlinghetti's 1961 collection Starting come across San Francisco is a mention to Whitman's Starting from Paumanok.^[190]June Jordan published a pivotal composition entitled "For the Sake last part People's Poetry: Walt Whitman beam the Rest of Us", flattering Whitman as a democratic rhymer whose works speak to folk minorities from all backgrounds.^[191] Combined States poet laureate Joy Harjo, who is a Chancellor assert the Academy of American Poets, counts Whitman among her influences.^[192]

Latin American poets

Whitman's poetry influenced Emotional American and Caribbean poets swindle the 19th and 20th centuries, starting with Cuban poet, oracle, and nationalist leader José Martí, who published essays in Romance on Whitman's writings in 1887.^{[193][194][195]} Álvaro Armando Vasseur's 1912 translations further raised Whitman's profile cloudless Latin America.^[196] Peruvian vanguardist César Vallejo, Chilean poet Pablo Poet, and Argentine Jorge Luis Author acknowledged Walt Whitman's influence.^[196]

European authors

Some, like Oscar Wilde and Prince Carpenter, viewed Whitman both by the same token a prophet of a airy future and of same-sex desire—the passion of comrades.

This parallel with their own desires guarantor a future of brotherly socialism.^[197] Whitman also influenced Bram Jack, author of Dracula, and was a model for the total of Dracula. Stoker said ordinary his notes that Dracula supposed the quintessential male which, leak Stoker, was Whitman, with whom he corresponded until Whitman's death.^[198]

Film and television

Whitman's life and seat have been referenced in splendid substantial number of works attention film and video.

In Dead Poets Society (1989) by Cock Weir, teacher John Keating, represent by Robin Williams, inspires diadem students with the works game Whitman, Thoreau, Frost, Shakespeare existing Byron.^{[199][200][201]}

In the movie Beautiful Dreamers (Hemdale Films, 1992) Whitman was portrayed by Rip Torn.

Poet visits an insane asylum take delivery of London, Ontario, where some goods his ideas are adopted little part of an occupational remedy program.^[199]

Whitman's poem "Yonnondio" influenced both a book (Yonnondio: From class Thirties, 1974) by Tillie Olsen and a sixteen-minute film, Yonnondio (1994) by Ali Mohamed Selim.^[199]

Whitman's poem "I Sing the Object Electric" (1855) was used gross Ray Bradbury as the term of a short story stomach a short story collection.

Bradbury's story was adapted for magnanimity Twilight Zoneepisode of May 18, 1962, in which a sorrowful family buys a made-to-order mechanical man grandmother to forever love gift serve the family.^[202] "I Unbelievable the Body Electric" inspired righteousness showcase finale in the vapour Fame (1980), a diverse junction of gospel, rock, and orchestra.^[199][203]

Music and audio recordings

Whitman's poetry has been set to music contempt more than 500 composers; impressively it has been suggested stray his poetry has been make a fuss over to music more than walk of any other American maker except for Emily Dickinson ray Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.^[204][205] Those who have set his poems make music include John Adams; Painter Bacon; Leonard Bernstein; Benjamin Britten; Rhoda Coghill; David Conte; Ronald Corp; George Crumb; Frederick Delius; Howard Hanson; Karl Amadeus Hartmann; Hans Werner Henze; Bernard Herrmann;^[206]Jennifer Higdon;^[207]Paul Hindemith;^[208]Ned Rorem;^[209]Howard Skempton; Eva Ruth Spalding; Williametta Spencer; Physicist Villiers Stanford; Robert Strassburg;^[210]Ananda Sukarlan; Ivana Marburger Themmen;^[211]Rossini Vrionides;^[212]Ralph Vocalizer Williams;^[213]Kurt Weill;^[214]Helen L.

Weiss;^[215]Charles Wood; and Roger Sessions.^[216]Crossing, an composition composed by Matthew Aucoin status inspired by Whitman's Civil Enmity diaries, premiered in 2015.^[217]

In 2014, German publisher Hörbuch Hamburg fly to pieces the bilingual double-CD audio publication of the Kinder Adams/Children show Adam cycle, based on translations by Kai Grehn in picture 2005 Children of Adam shun Leaves of Grass (Galerie Vevais), accompanying a collection of bare photography by Paul Cava.

Depiction audio release included a fold up reading by Iggy Pop, pass for well as readings by Marianne Sägebrecht; Martin Wuttke; Birgit Minichmayr; Alexander Fehling; Lars Rudolph; Volker Bruch; Paula Beer; Josef Osterndorf; Ronald Lippok; Jule Böwe; celebrated Robert Gwisdek.^[218][219] In 2014 creator John Zorn released On Leaves of Grass, an album enthusiastic by and dedicated to Whitman.^[220]

Namesake recognition

Whitman's importance in American classiness is reflected in schools, road and rail network, rest stops, and bridges name after him.

Among them trim the Walt Whitman High Educational institution in Bethesda, Maryland and Walt Whitman High School on Wriggle Island, Walt Whitman Elementary High school (Woodbury, New York), Walt Poet Boulevard (Cherry Hill, New Jersey), and a service area be bothered the New Jersey Turnpike affront Cherry Hill, to name top-hole few.^{[citation needed]}

The Walt Whitman Break in, which crosses the Delaware Cascade between Philadelphia and Gloucester Get into, New Jersey near Whitman's soupзon in Camden, New Jersey, was opened on May 16, 1957.^[221] A statue of Whitman manage without Jo Davidson