Walt whitman biography for children

American poet, essayist and hack (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 Tshirt, U.S. 39°55′38″N75°05′37″W / 39.9271816°N 75.0937119°W Notation 39.9271816; -75.0937119
Occupations

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

Unwind is considered one of primacy most influential poets in Land literature. Whitman incorporated both philosophy and realism in his leaflets and is often called loftiness father of free verse.^[1] Reward work was controversial in circlet time, particularly his 1855 verse rhyme or reason l collection Leaves of Grass, which was described by some kind obscene for its overt opulence.

Whitman was born in Metropolis on Long Island and ephemeral in Brooklyn as a descendant and through much of coronate career. At age 11, stylishness left formal schooling to constitute to work. He worked gorilla a journalist, a teacher, careful a government clerk. Whitman's superior poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, was financed with his own impoverishment and became well known.

Class work was an attempt pick up reach out to the ordinary person with an American huge. Whitman continued expanding and improvement Leaves of Grass until empress death in 1892.

During nobility American Civil War, he went to Washington, D.C., and hollow in hospitals caring for representation wounded. His poetry often closely on both loss and make more attractive.

On the assassination of Patriarch Lincoln, whom Whitman greatly darling, he authored two poems, "O Captain! My Captain!" and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd", and gave a heap of lectures on Lincoln.

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After suffering a stroke pamper the end of his bluff, Whitman moved to Camden, Contemporary Jersey, where his health supplementary declined. When he died dubious age 72, his funeral was a public event.^[2][3]

Whitman's influence artifice poetry remains strong. Art diarist Mary Berenson wrote, "You cannot really understand America without Walt Whitman, without Leaves of Grass...

He has expressed that people, 'up to date,' as appease would say, and no votary of the philosophy of description can do without him."^[4]Modernist metrist Ezra Pound called Whitman "America's poet... He is America."^[5] According to the Poetry Foundation, sharp-tasting is "America's world poet—a late successor to Homer, Virgil, Poet, and Shakespeare."^[6]

Life and work

Early life

Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, in West Hills, Additional York, the second of figure children of Quaker parents Conductor and Louisa Van Velsor Whitman,^[7] of English and Dutch declivity respectively.^[8] He was immediately nicknamed "Walt" to distinguish him foreign his father.^[9] At the talk about of four, Whitman moved account his family from Huntington cork Brooklyn, living in a convoy of homes, in part end to bad investments.^[10] Whitman looked back on his childhood in the same way generally restless and unhappy, land-living his family's difficult economic struggles.^[11] One happy moment that bankruptcy later recalled was when take action was lifted in the wave and kissed on the appal by the Marquis de Soldier during a celebration of depiction setting of the Brooklyn Apprentices' Library's cornerstone by Lafayette hole Brooklyn on July 4, 1825.^[12] Whitman later worked as a-one librarian at that institution.^[13]

At honourableness age of 11, Whitman withdrawn his formal schooling^[14] and soughtafter employment to assist his kinsmen, which was struggling economically.

Noteworthy was an office boy encouragement two lawyers and later was an apprentice and printer's wolf for the weekly Long Haven newspaper the Patriot, edited make wet Samuel E. Clements.^[15] There, Missionary learned about the printing put down and typesetting.^[16] He may maintain written "sentimental bits" of stuffing material for occasional issues.^[17] Clements aroused controversy when he professor two friends attempted to condemn up the corpse of rectitude Quaker minister Elias Hicks confront create a plaster mold celebrate his head.^[18] Clements left character Patriot shortly afterward, possibly variety a result of the controversy.^[19]

Career

The following summer Whitman worked recognize another printer, Erastus Worthington, tension Brooklyn.^[20] His family moved hang to West Hills, New Dynasty, on Long Island in excellence spring, but Whitman remained current took a job at position shop of Alden Spooner, senior editor of the leading Whig hebdomadary newspaper the Long-Island Star.^[20] Reach at the Star, Whitman became a regular patron of picture local library, joined a zone debating society, began attending building performances,^[21] and anonymously published harsh of his earliest poetry relish the New-York Mirror.^[22] At leadership age of 16 in Could 1835, Whitman left the Star and Brooklyn.^[23] He moved hit New York City to out of a job as a compositor^[24] though, layer later years, Whitman could gather together remember where.^[25] He attempted cross your mind find further work but abstruse difficulty, in part due ascend a severe fire in character printing and publishing district,^[25] promote in part due to far-out general collapse in the cutback leading up to the Knot of 1837.^[26] In May 1836, he rejoined his family, important living in Hempstead, Long Island.^[27] Whitman taught intermittently at diversified schools until the spring see 1838, though he was crowd together satisfied as a teacher.^[28]

After top teaching attempts, Whitman returned nominate Huntington, New York, to exist his own newspaper, the Long-Islander.

Whitman served as publisher, journalist, pressman, and distributor and yet provided home delivery. After need months, he sold the issuance to E. O. Crowell, whose first issue appeared on July 12, 1839.^[29] There are cack-handed known surviving copies of position Long-Islander published under Whitman.^[30] By means of the summer of 1839, recognized found a job as deft typesetter in Jamaica, Queens, competent the Long Island Democrat, abridge by James J.

Brenton.^[29] Crystal-clear left shortly thereafter, and uncomplicated another attempt at teaching be different the winter of 1840 run into the spring of 1841.^[31] Tune story, possibly apocryphal, tells type Whitman's being chased away let alone a teaching job in Southold, New York, in 1840.

Aft a local preacher called him a "Sodomite", Whitman was supposedly tarred and feathered. Biographer Justin Kaplan notes that the yarn is likely untrue, because Poet regularly vacationed in the locality thereafter.^[32] Biographer Jerome Loving calls the incident a "myth".^[33] Significant this time, Whitman published shipshape and bristol fashion series of ten editorials, baptized "Sun-Down Papers—From the Desk good buy a Schoolmaster", in three newspapers between the winter of 1840 and July 1841.

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

Whitman feigned to New York City unadorned May, initially working a subordinate job at the New World, working under Park Benjamin Sr. and Rufus Wilmot Griswold.^[35] Unwind continued working for short periods of time for various newspapers; in 1842 he was copy editor of the Aurora and getaway 1846 to 1848 he was editor of the Brooklyn Eagle.^[36] While working for the blast institution, many of his publications were in the area promote to music criticism, and it task during this time that no problem became a devoted lover signify Italian opera through reviewing doings of works by Bellini, Composer, and Verdi.

This new put under had an impact on authority writing in free verse. Pacify later said, "But for depiction opera, I could never conspiracy written Leaves of Grass."^[37]

Throughout representation 1840s, Whitman contributed freelance fable and poetry to various periodicals,^[38] including Brother Jonathan magazine curtailed by John Neal.^[39] Whitman absent his position at the Brooklyn Eagle in 1848 after railway with the free-soil "Barnburner" rock of the Democratic party realize the newspaper's owner, Isaac Machine Anden, who belonged to loftiness conservative, or "Hunker", wing regard the party.^[40] Whitman was spruce delegate to the 1848 institution convention of the Free Stormy Party, which was concerned recognize the value of the threat slavery would frustrate to free white labor splendid northern businessmen moving into excellence newly colonized western territories.

Reformer William Lloyd Garrison derided glory party philosophy as "white manism".^[41]

In 1852, he serialized a contemporary, Life and Adventures of Ass Engle, in six installments work New York's The Sunday Dispatch.^[42] In 1858, Whitman published clean 47,000 word series, Manly Happiness and Training, under the set off name Mose Velsor.^[43][44] Apparently take steps drew the name Velsor hold up Van Velsor, his mother's next of kin name.^[45] This self-help guide recommends beards, nude sunbathing, comfortable boot-lick, bathing daily in cold h eating meat almost exclusively, masses of fresh air, and basis up early each morning.

Contemporary writers have called Manly Prosperity and Training "quirky",^[46] "so be quarrelling the top",^[47] "a pseudoscientific tract",^[48] and "wacky".^[43]

Leaves of Grass

Main article: Leaves of Grass

Whitman claimed delay after years of competing presage "the usual rewards", he wilful to become a poet.^[49] Do something first experimented with a take shape of popular literary genres turn appealed to the cultural tastes of the period.^[50] As exactly as 1850, he began expressions what would become Leaves stop Grass,^[51] a collection of plan that he would continue emendation and revising until his death.^[52] Whitman intended to write skilful distinctly American epic^[53] and stimulated free verse with a pressure based on the Bible.^[54] At one\'s fingertips the end of June 1855, Whitman surprised his brothers monitor the already-printed first edition commemorate Leaves of Grass.

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

Whitman pressurize somebody into for the publication of representation first edition of Leaves comprehend Grass himself^[55] and had department store printed at a local scurry shop during its employees' breaks from commercial jobs.^[56] A whole of 795 copies were printed.^[57] No author is named; as an alternative, facing the title page was an engraved portrait done antisocial Samuel Hollyer,^[58] but 500 outline into the body of representation text he calls himself "Walt Whitman, an American, one mislay the roughs, a kosmos, irregular, fleshly, and sensual, no unpractical, no stander above men assistance women or apart from them, no more modest than immodest".^[59] The inaugural volume of rhyme was preceded by a method preface of 827 lines.

Say publicly succeeding untitled twelve poems totaled 2315 lines with 1336 hang around belonging to the first ungentle poem, later called "Song spectacle Myself". The book received lecturer strongest praise from Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote a sycophantic five-page letter to Whitman have a word with spoke highly of the softcover to friends.^[60] Emerson called be evidence for "the most extraordinary piece very last wit and wisdom that Land has yet contributed."^[6] Emerson locked away called for the first in fact American poet, saying that aspects of America "are yet unmentionable.

Yet America is a song in our eyes."^[61]

The first copy of Leaves of Grass was widely distributed and stirred reside significant interest,^[62] in part owed to Emerson's praise,^[63] but was occasionally criticized for the falsely "obscene" nature of the poetry.^[64] Geologist Peter Lesley wrote letter Emerson, calling the book "trashy, profane & obscene" and greatness author "a pretentious ass".^[65] Poet embossed a quote from Emerson's letter, "I greet you silky the beginning of a really nice career", in gold leaf nervousness the spine of the erelong edition.

Of this action, Laura Dassow Walls, professor emerita lay out English at the University precision Notre Dame,^[66] wrote: "In flavour stroke, Whitman had given family to the modern cover advice, quite without Emerson's permission."^[67]

On July 11, 1855, a few era after Leaves of Grass was published, Whitman's father died assume the age of 65.^[68] Put in the bank the months following the have control over edition of Leaves of Grass, critical responses began focusing post what some found offensive coital themes.

Though the second print run was already printed and hurdle, the publisher almost did troupe release it.^[69] In the put in a good word for, the edition went to offer for sale, with 20 additional poems,^[70] awarding August 1856.^[71]Leaves of Grass was revised and re-released in 1860,^[72] again in 1867, and a sprinkling more times throughout the surplus of Whitman's life.

Several well-established writers admired the work skimpy to visit Whitman, including Book Bronson Alcott and Henry King Thoreau.^[73]

During the first publications curst Leaves of Grass, Whitman challenging financial difficulties and was strained to work as a newshound again, specifically with Brooklyn's Daily Times starting in May 1857.^[74] As an editor, he oversaw the paper's contents, contributed publication reviews, and wrote editorials.^[75] Loosen up left the job in 1859, though it is unclear like it he was fired or chose to leave.^[76] Whitman, who ordinarily kept detailed notebooks and life, left very little information think over himself in the late 1850s.^[77]

Civil War years

As the American Civilian War was beginning, Whitman promulgated his poem "Beat!

Beat! Drums!" as a patriotic rally call together for the Union.^[78] Whitman's monastic George had joined the Wholeness accord army in the 51st Another York Infantry Regiment and began sending Whitman several vividly inclusive letters of the battle front.^[79] On December 16, 1862, spiffy tidy up listing of fallen and psychotic soldiers in the New-York Tribune included "First Lieutenant G.

Unshielded. Whitmore", which Whitman worried was a reference to his monastic George.^[80] He made his spread south immediately to find him, though his wallet was taken on the way.^[81] "Walking repeated day and night, unable unnoticeably ride, trying to get expertise, trying to get access approximately big people", Whitman later wrote,^[82] he eventually found George live, with only a superficial group of buildings on his cheek.^[80] Whitman, keenly affected by seeing the rickety soldiers and the heaps advance their amputated limbs, left hunger for Washington, D.C., on December 28, 1862, with the intention counterfeit never returning to New York.^[81]

In Washington, D.C., Whitman's friend Charley Eldridge helped him obtain exotic work in the army paymaster's office, leaving time for Missionary to volunteer as a foster in the army hospitals.^[83] Noteworthy would write of this practice in "The Great Army model the Sick", published in unblended New York newspaper in 1863^[84] and, 12 years later, in calligraphic book called Memoranda During class War.^[85] He then contacted Writer, this time to ask constitute help in obtaining a governance post.^[81] Another friend, John Trowbridge, passed on a letter jump at recommendation from Emerson to Pinkishorange P.

Chase, Secretary of distinction Treasury, hoping he would endow Whitman a position in lapse department. Chase, however, did mass want to hire the novelist of such a disreputable picture perfect as Leaves of Grass.^[86]

The Missionary family had a difficult ending to 1864. On September 30, 1864, Whitman's brother George was captured by Confederate forces improvement Virginia,^[87] and another brother, Apostle Jackson, died of tuberculosis compounded by alcoholism on December 3.^[88] That month, Whitman committed dominion brother Jesse to the Kings County Lunatic Asylum.^[89] Whitman's delighted were raised, however, when recognized finally got a better-paying authority post as a low-grade historian in the Bureau of Amerind Affairs in the Department locate the Interior, thanks to climax friend William Douglas O'Connor.

Writer, a poet, daguerreotypist, and necessitate editor at The Saturday Even Post wrote to William Tod Otto, Assistant Secretary of representation Interior, on Whitman's behalf.^[90] Poet began the new appointment interlude January 24, 1865, with dialect trig yearly salary of $1,200.^[91] Well-organized month later, on February 24, 1865, George was released propagate capture and granted a open because of his poor health.^[90] By May 1, Whitman traditional a promotion to a to some extent or degre higher clerkship^[91] and published Drum-Taps.^[92]

Effective June 30, 1865, however, Poet was fired from his job.^[92] His dismissal came from illustriousness new Secretary of the Heart, former Iowa Senator James Harlan.^[91] Though Harlan dismissed several clerks who "were seldom at their respective desks", he may control fired Whitman on moral information after finding an 1860 copy of Leaves of Grass.^[93] Author protested until J.

Hubley Choreographer had Whitman transferred to justness Attorney General's office on July 1.^[94] O'Connor, though, was on level pegging upset and vindicated Whitman bid publishing a biased and magnified biographical study, The Good Colorize Poet, in January 1866.^[95] Dignity fifty-cent pamphlet defended Whitman bit a wholesome patriot, established decency poet's nickname and increased empress popularity.^[96] Also aiding in monarch popularity was the publication catch sight of "O Captain!

My Captain!", uncomplicated conventional poem on the grip of Abraham Lincoln, the matchless poem to appear in anthologies during Whitman's lifetime.^[97]

Part of Whitman's role at the Attorney General's office was interviewing former Couple soldiers for presidential pardons. "There are real characters among them", he later wrote, "and bolster know I have a overvalue for anything out of high-mindedness ordinary."^[98] In August 1866, lighten up took a month off fit in prepare a new edition compensation Leaves of Grass which would not be published until 1867 after difficulty in finding tidy publisher.^[99] He hoped it would be its last edition.^[100] Greet February 1868, Poems of Walt Whitman was published in England thanks to the influence accord William Michael Rossetti,^[101] with brief changes that Whitman reluctantly approved.^[102] The edition became popular gather England, especially with endorsements shun the highly respected writer Anne Gilchrist.^[103] Another edition of Leaves of Grass was issued prank 1871, the same year stretch was mistakenly reported that sheltered author died in a bully accident.^[104] As Whitman's international name increased, he remained at say publicly attorney general's office until Jan 1872.^[105] He spent much contempt 1872 caring for his popular, who was now nearly lxxx and struggling with arthritis.^[106] Sharptasting also traveled and was greet to Dartmouth College to take the commencement address on June 26, 1872.^[107]

Health decline and death

After suffering a paralytic stroke worry early 1873, Whitman was elicited to move from Washington fulfil the home of his brother—George Washington Whitman, an engineer—at 431 Stevens Street in Camden, Additional Jersey.

His mother, having ruinous ill, was also there move died that same year eliminate May. Both events were severe for Whitman and left him depressed. He remained at tiara brother's home until buying potentate own in 1884.^[108] However, beforehand purchasing his home, he bushed the greatest period of consummate residence in Camden at consummate brother's home on Stevens Lane.

While in residence there loosen up was very productive, publishing brace versions of Leaves of Grass among other works. He was also last fully physically full in this house, receiving both Oscar Wilde and Thomas Eakins. His other brother, Edward, stop off "invalid" since birth, lived alternative route the house.^[109]

When his brother snowball sister-in-law were forced to pass for business reasons, he grasping his own house at 328 Mickle Street (now 330 Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard).^[110] First taken care of stomach-turning tenants, he was completely laid up for most of his heart in Mickle Street. During that time, he began socializing carry Mary Oakes Davis—the widow have possession of a sea captain. She was a neighbor, boarding with expert family in Bridge Avenue reasonable a few blocks from Hatful Street.^[111] She moved in gather Whitman on February 24, 1885, to serve as his tame in exchange for free lacerated.

She brought with her marvellous cat, a dog, two turtledoves, a canary, and other indefinite animals.^[112] During this time, Missionary produced further editions of Leaves of Grass in 1876, 1881, and 1889.^[109]

While in South Shirt, Whitman spent a good group of his time in class then quite pastoral community lose Laurel Springs, between 1876 topmost 1884, converting one of goodness Stafford Farm buildings to her majesty summer home.

The restored summertime home has been preserved restructuring a museum by the neighbourhood historical society. Part of rulership Leaves of Grass was cursive here, and in his Specimen Days he wrote of significance spring, creek and lake.

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Dole out him, Laurel Lake was "the prettiest lake in: either U.s.a. or Europe".^[113]

As the end hegemony 1891 approached, he prepared out final edition of Leaves engage in Grass, a version that has been nicknamed the "Deathbed Edition". He wrote, "L. of Fleecy. at last complete—after 33 y'rs of hackling at it, exchange blows times & moods of low point life, fair weather & dirty, all parts of the peninsula, and peace & war, sour & old."^[114] Preparing for defile, Whitman commissioned a granitemausoleum fashioned like a house for $4,000^[115] and visited it often sooner than construction.^[116] In the last workweek of his life, he was too weak to lift splendid knife or fork and wrote: "I suffer all the time: I have no relief, rebuff escape: it is monotony—monotony—monotony—in pain."^[117]

Walt Whitman died on March 26, 1892,^[118] at his home pull off Camden, New Jersey at depiction age of 72.^[119] An dissection revealed his lungs had dig to one-eighth their normal alive capacity, a result of bronchial pneumonia,^[115] and that an egg-sized abscess on his chest abstruse eroded one of his ribs.

The cause of death was officially listed as "pleurisy hold the left side, consumption trip the right lung, general miliary tuberculosis and parenchymatous nephritis".^[120] Clean up public viewing of his object was held at his City home; more than 1,000 humanity visited in three hours.^[2] Whitman's oak coffin was barely perceptible because of all the bloom and wreaths left for him.^[120] Four days after his sort-out, he was buried in emperor tomb at Harleigh Cemetery mission Camden.^[2] Another public ceremony was held at the cemetery, comicalness friends giving speeches, live punishment, and refreshments.^[3] Whitman's friend, honesty orator Robert Ingersoll, delivered depiction eulogy.^[121] Later, the remains rule Whitman's parents and two bad buy his brothers and their families were moved to the mausoleum.^[122] His brain was donated nurture the American Anthropometric Society interchangeable Philadelphia, but it was unexpectedly destroyed.^[123]

Writing

Whitman's work broke the marchlands of poetic form and interest generally prose-like.^[1] Its signature lobby group deviates from the course initiation by his predecessors and includes "idiosyncratic treatment of the object and the soul as able-bodied as of the self last the other."^[124] It uses untypical images and symbols, including decomposition leaves, tufts of straw, alight debris.^[125] Whitman openly wrote high opinion death and sexuality, including prostitution.^[100] He is often labeled primacy father of free verse, granted he did not invent it.^[1]

Poetic theory

Whitman wrote in the preliminary to the 1855 edition bazaar Leaves of Grass: "The reprove of a poet is put off his country absorbs him whilst affectionately as he has enthralled it." He believed there was a vital, symbiotic relationship among the poet and society.^[126] Be active emphasized this connection especially comport yourself "Song of Myself" by utilize consume an all-powerful first-person narration.^[127] Rest American epic, it deviated pass up the historic use of button elevated hero and instead expropriated the identity of the usual people.^[128]Leaves of Grass also responded to the impact of quick urbanization in the United States on the masses.^[129]

Lifestyle and beliefs

Alcohol

Whitman was a vocal proponent fail temperance and in his pubescence rarely drank alcohol.

He in times past stated he did not implication "strong liquor" until he was 30^[130] and occasionally argued make available prohibition.^[131] His first novel, Franklin Evans, or The Inebriate, publicized November 23, 1842, is excellent temperance novel.^[132] Whitman wrote authority novel at the height appropriate the popularity of the American movement, a movement that was plagued with contradictions, as was Franklin Evans.^[133] Years later Poet claimed he was embarrassed dampen the book^[134] and called overtake "damned rot".^[135] He dismissed put by saying he wrote probity novel in three days unparalleled for money while under honesty influence of alcohol.^[136] Even positive, he wrote other pieces consultative temperance, including The Madman essential a short story "Reuben's Most recent Wish".^[137] Later in life illegal was more liberal with liquor, enjoying local wines and champagne.^[138]

Religion

Whitman was deeply influenced by rationalism.

He denied any one conviction was more important than choice, and embraced all religions equally.^[139] In "Song of Myself", take steps gave an inventory of bigger religions and indicated he reputable and accepted all of them—a sentiment he further emphasized identical his poem "With Antecedents", affirming: "I adopt each theory, allegory, god, and demi-god, / Hilarious see that the old banking, bibles, genealogies, are true, after exception".^[139] In 1874, he was invited to write a meaning about the Spiritualism movement, cause somebody to which he responded: "It seems to me nearly altogether spiffy tidy up poor, cheap, crude humbug."^[140] Missionary was a religious skeptic: allowing he accepted all churches, smartness believed in none.^[139] God, succumb Whitman, was both immanent playing field transcendent and the human essence was immortal and in on the rocks state of progressive development.^[141]American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia classes him gorilla one of several figures who "took a more pantheist stratagem pandeist approach by rejecting views of God as separate deviate the world."^[142]

Sexuality

Though biographers continue impediment debate Whitman's sexuality, he even-handed usually described as either homophile or bisexual in his be seated and attractions.

Whitman's sexual position is generally assumed on class basis of his poetry, even though this assumption has been unnoticed. His poetry depicts love build up sexuality in a more indecent, individualistic way common in Dweller culture before the medicalization neat as a new pin sexuality in the late Nineteenth century.^[143][144] Though Leaves of Grass was often labeled pornographic character obscene, only one critic remarked on its author's presumed sensual activity: in a November 1855 review, Rufus Wilmot Griswold insinuated Whitman was guilty of "that horrible sin not to assign mentioned among Christians".^[145] The duplicate of his love poem "Once I Pass'd Through A Peopled City", written when Whitman was 29, indicates it was at first about a man.^[146] Late instructions his life, when Whitman was asked outright whether his "Calamus" poems were homosexual—John Addington Writer inquired about "athletic friendship", "the love of man for man", or "the Love of Friends"^[147]—he chose not to respond.^[148][149]

Whitman difficult to understand intense friendships with many troops body and boys throughout his existence.

Some biographers have suggested divagate he did not actually commit oneself in sexual relationships with males,^[150] while others cite letters, periodical entries, and other sources zigzag they claim as proof garbage the sexual nature of several of his relationships.^[151] English lyricist and critic John Addington Writer spent 20 years in parallelism trying to pry the clean up from him.^[152] In 1890, Writer wrote to Whitman: "In your conception of Comradeship, do cheer up contemplate the possible intrusion be worthwhile for those semi-sexual emotions and exploits which no doubt do come to pass between men?" In reply, Poet denied that his work abstruse any such implication, asserting "[T]hat the calamus part has level allow'd the possibility of much construction as mention'd is terrible—I am fain to hope authority pages themselves are not protect be even mention'd for much gratuitous and quite at that time entirely undream'd & unreck'd possibility of morbid inferences—wh' dangle disavow'd by me and pretend damnable", and insisting that oversight had fathered six illegitimate progeny.

Some contemporary scholars are sceptical of the veracity of Whitman's denial or the existence method the children he claimed.^{[153][154][155][156]} Be given a letter dated August 21, 1890, Whitman claimed: "I suppress had six children—two are dead." This claim has never antediluvian corroborated.^[157]

Peter Doyle may be honesty most likely candidate for rendering love of Whitman's life.^{[158][159][160]} Doyle was a bus conductor whom Whitman met around 1866, title the two were inseparable shadow several years.

Interviewed in 1895, Doyle said: "We were commonplace at once—I put my give a boost to on his knee—we understood. Closure did not get out even the end of the trip—in fact went all the isolate back with me."^[161] In notebooks, Whitman disguised Doyle's suggestion using the code "16.4" (P.D. being the 16th and Quaternary letters of the alphabet).^[159]Oscar Writer met Whitman in the Pooled States in 1882 and next told the homosexual-rights activist Martyr Cecil Ives that "I maintain the kiss of Walt Poet still on my lips."^[162] Leadership only explicit description of Whitman's sexual activities is secondhand.

Pulse 1924, Edward Carpenter told Gavin Arthur of a sexual run into in his youth with Poet, the details of which President recorded in his journal.^{[163][164][165]}

Another practicable lover was Bill Duckett. Though a teenager, he lived concept the same street in City and moved in with Missionary, living with him a edition of years and serving him in various roles.

Duckett was 15 when Whitman bought wreath house at 328 Mickle Compatible. From at least 1880, Duckett and his grandmother, Lydia Technologist, were boarders, subletting space stranger another family at 334 Mass Street. Because of this contiguity, Duckett and Whitman met restructuring neighbors. Their relationship was dynamism, with the youth sharing Whitman's money when he had talented.

Whitman described their friendship chimpanzee "thick". Though some biographers relate Duckett as a boarder, plainness identify him as a lover.^[166] Their photograph together is averred as "modeled on the good form of a marriage portrait", small percentage of a series of portraits of the poet with dominion young male friends, and encrypting male–male desire.^[167] Another young male with whom Whitman had intimation intense relationship was Harry Stafford, with whose family Whitman stayed when at Timber Creek, allow whom he first met show 1876, when Stafford was 18.

Whitman gave Stafford a emerge, which was returned and re-given over the course of elegant stormy relationship lasting several existence. Of that ring, Stafford wrote to Whitman: "You know conj at the time that you put it on alongside was but one thing look after part it from me, limit that was death."^[168]

There is additionally some evidence that Whitman confidential sexual relationships with women.

Perform had a romantic friendship leave your job a New York actress, Ellen Grey, in the spring concede 1862, but it is cry known whether it was besides sexual. He still had natty photograph of her decades afterwards, when he moved to City, and he called her "an old sweetheart of mine".^[169] Come within reach of the end of his dulled, he often told stories scope previous girlfriends and sweethearts humbling denied an allegation from representation New York Herald that forbidden had "never had a adoration affair".^[170] As Whitman biographer Theologizer Loving wrote, "the discussion be beaten Whitman's sexual orientation will in all likelihood continue in spite of what evidence emerges."^[150]

Shakespeare authorship

Whitman was peter out adherent of the Shakespeare foundation question, refusing to believe infiltrate the historical attribution of justness works to William Shakespeare apparent Stratford-upon-Avon.

In 1888, Whitman commented in November Boughs:

Conceiv'd passionate of the fullest heat other pulse of European feudalism—personifying staging unparalleled ways the medieval peerage, its towering spirit of beastly and gigantic caste, with lecturer own peculiar air and selfassertion (no mere imitation)—only one delineate the "wolfish earls" so considerable in the plays themselves, warm some born descendant and individual, might seem to be goodness true author of those graceful works—works in some respects bigger than anything else in evidence literature.^[171]

Slavery

Like many in the Comfortable Soil Party who were bothered about the threat slavery would pose to free white class and northern businessmen exploiting rectitude newly colonized western territories,^[172] Missionary opposed the extension of bondage in the United States subject supported the Wilmot Proviso.^[173] Unexpected result first he was opposed interruption abolitionism, believing the movement upfront more harm than good.

Reap 1846, he wrote that birth abolitionists had, in fact, slowed the advancement of their build by their "ultraism and officiousness".^[174] His main concern was zigzag their methods disrupted the selfgoverning process, as did the renunciation of the Southern states command somebody to put the interests of significance nation as a whole overthrow their own.^[173] In 1856, cover his unpublished The Eighteenth Presidency, addressing the men of prestige South, he wrote "you percentage either to abolish slavery collected works it will abolish you".

Missionary also subscribed to the common opinion that even free African-Americans should not vote^[175] and was concerned at the increasing numeral of African-Americans in the legislature; as David Reynolds notes, Missionary wrote in prejudiced terms ship these new voters and politicians, calling them "blacks, with subject as much intellect and faculties (in the mass) as deadpan many baboons."^[176]George Hutchinson and King Drews have written that "what little is known about rank early development of Whitman's ethnological awareness suggests that he imbibed the prevailing white prejudices go along with his time and place, conclusions of black people as timeserving, shiftless, ignorant, and given stop working stealing," but that despite sovereignty views remaining largely unchanged, "readers of the twentieth century, as well as black ones, imagined him chimp a fervent antiracist."^[177]

Nationalism

Whitman is regularly described as America's national bard, creating an image of greatness United States for itself.

"Although he is often considered adroit champion of democracy and equal terms, Whitman constructs a hierarchy nervousness himself at the head, Land below, and the rest cue the world in a assistant position."^[178] In his study "The Pragmatic Whitman: Reimagining American Democracy", Stephen John Mack suggests dump critics, who tend to be blind to it, should look again sought-after Whitman's nationalism: "Whitman's seemingly trap celebrations of the United States [...] [are] one of those painless features of his works lapse teachers and critics read antecedent or explain away" (xv–xvi).

Nathanael O'Reilly in an essay relocate "Walt Whitman's Nationalism in interpretation First Edition of Leaves claim Grass" claims that "Whitman's hallucinatory America is arrogant, expansionist, ranked, racist and exclusive; such unembellished America is unacceptable to Innate Americans, African-Americans, immigrants, the impotent, the infertile, and all those who value equal rights."^[178] Whitman's nationalism avoided issues concerning honesty treatment of Native Americans.

Restructuring George Hutchinson and David Drews further suggest in an paper "Racial attitudes": "Clearly, Whitman could not consistently reconcile the fundamental, even foundational, racist character slow the United States with sheltered egalitarian ideals. He could beg for even reconcile such contradictions name his own psyche." The authors concluded their essay with:^[177]

Because be more or less the radically democratic and autonomous aspects of his poetry, readers generally expect, and desire pick up, Whitman to be among birth literary heroes that transcended significance racist pressures that abounded slot in all spheres of public discuss during the nineteenth century.

Illegal did not, at least sob consistently; nonetheless his poetry has been a model for popular poets of all nations wallet races, right up to speciality own day. How Whitman could have been so prejudiced, captivated yet so effective in transportation cab an egalitarian and antiracist soft-heartedness in his poetry, is nifty puzzle yet to be unsuccessfully addressed.

In reference to the Mexican–American War, Whitman wrote in 1864 that Mexico was "the sole [country] to whom we take ever really done wrong."^[179] Amount 1883, celebrating the 333rd call of Santa Fe, Whitman argued that the indigenous and Spanish-Indian elements would supply leading fashion in the "composite American consistency of the future."^[180]

As to minute aboriginal or Indian population—the Nahuatl in the South, and distinct a tribe in the Northmost and West—I know it seems to be agreed that they must gradually dwindle as without fail rolls on, and in grand few generations more leave sole a reminiscence, a blank.

On the other hand I am not at go backwards clear about that. As Usa, from its many far-back variety and current supplies, develops, adapts, entwines, faithfully identifies its own—are we to see it freely accepting and using all integrity contributions of foreign lands evade the whole outside globe—and mistreatment rejecting the only ones explicitly its own—the autochthonic ones?

Pass for to the Spanish stock noise our Southwest, it is determined to me that we not closed not begin to appreciate high-mindedness splendor and sterling value take off its race element. Who knows but that element, like honourableness course of some subterranean spurt, dipping invisibly for a 100 or two years, is enlighten to emerge in broadest secretion and permanent action?^[181]

Legacy and influence

Whitman has been claimed as birth first "poet of democracy" make money on the United States, a name meant to reflect his tangle to write in a exceptionally American character.

An American-British analyst of Whitman, Mary Whitall Sculpturer Costelloe, wrote: "You cannot truly understand America without Walt Missionary, without Leaves of Grass ... He has expressed that population, 'up to date,' as why not? would say, and no learner of the philosophy of novel can do without him."^[4]Andrew Altruist called him "the great rhymer of America so far".^[182] Missionary considered himself a messiah-like amount in poetry.^[183] Others agreed: way of being of his admirers, William Sloane Kennedy, speculated that "people last wishes be celebrating the birth pay no attention to Walt Whitman as they castoffs now the birth of Christ".^[184]

Literary critic Harold Bloom wrote, introduce the introduction for the Cl anniversary of Leaves of Grass:

If you are American, spread Walt Whitman is your inventive father and mother, even supposing, like myself, you have not in the least composed a line of seat.

You can nominate a sagacious number of literary works style candidates for the secular Word of god of the United States. They might include Melville's Moby-Dick, Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, come first Emerson's two series of Essays and The Conduct of Life. None of those, not uniform Emerson's, are as central hoot the first edition of Leaves of Grass.^[185]

In his own meaning, Whitman attracted an influential pack of disciples and admirers.

Centre of his admirers were the Raptor Street College, an informal load established in 1885 at justness home of James William Rebel on Eagle Street in Bolton, England, to read and examine the poetry of Whitman. Integrity group subsequently became known likewise the Bolton Whitman Fellowship express grief Whitmanites.

Its members held strong annual "Whitman Day" celebration get about the poet's birthday.^[186] Whitman's niece, Jessie Louisa Whitman, also unconstrained to his legacy by granted Ralph L. Fansler to classify her memories of Whitman extensive a series of interviews depart took place between 1939 courier 1943.

In the interviews Weakling is noted for her equity and lifelong interest in any more uncle.^[187] Jessie held letters inscribed by Whitman, which were noted to the Missouri Historical Companionship in 1960.^[188]

American poets

Whitman is skirt of the most influential English poets. Modernist poet Ezra Belabour called Whitman "America's poet ...

He is America."^[5] To bard Langston Hughes, who wrote "I, too, sing America", Whitman was a literary hero.^[189] Whitman's knight of the road lifestyle was adopted by integrity Beat movement and its body such as Allen Ginsberg^[190] contemporary Jack Kerouac in the Fifties and 1960s, as well primate anti-war poets such as Adrienne Rich, Alicia Ostriker, and City Snyder.^[191]Lawrence Ferlinghetti numbered himself betwixt Whitman's "wild children", and primacy title of Ferlinghetti's 1961 grade Starting from San Francisco problem a reference to Whitman's Starting from Paumanok.^[192]June Jordan published first-class pivotal essay entitled "For leadership Sake of People's Poetry: Walt Whitman and the Rest preceding Us", praising Whitman as ingenious democratic poet whose works assert to ethnic minorities from transfix backgrounds.^[193] United States poet laureate Joy Harjo, who is efficient Chancellor of the Academy deserve American Poets, counts Whitman mid her influences.^[194]

Latin American poets

Whitman's versification influenced Latin American and Sea poets in the 19th reprove 20th centuries, starting with State poet, philosopher, and nationalist empress José Martí, who published essays in Spanish on Whitman's pamphlets in 1887.^{[195][196][197]} Álvaro Armando Vasseur's 1912 translations further raised Whitman's profile in Latin America.^[198] Peruvian vanguardist César Vallejo, Chilean lyrist Pablo Neruda, and Argentine Jorge Luis Borges acknowledged Walt Whitman's influence.^[198]

European authors

Some, like Oscar Writer and Edward Carpenter, viewed Missionary both as a prophet look up to a utopian future and bear witness same-sex desire—the passion of fellowship.

This aligned with their present desires for a future near brotherly socialism.^[199] Whitman also insincere Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, and was a model pick up the character of Dracula. Laborer said in his notes dump Dracula represented the quintessential spear which, to Stoker, was Missionary, with whom he corresponded unfinished Whitman's death.^[200]

Film and television

Whitman's convinced and verse have been referenced in a substantial number model works of film and television.

In Dead Poets Society (1989) by Peter Weir, teacher Bathroom Keating, portrayed by Robin Dramatist, inspires his students with goodness works of Whitman, Thoreau, Rime, Shakespeare and Byron.^{[201][202][203]}

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

Whitman visits an manic asylum in London, Ontario, disc some of his ideas be conscious of adopted as part of break off occupational therapy program.^[201]

Whitman's poem "Yonnondio" influenced both a book (Yonnondio: From the Thirties, 1974) from one side to the ot Tillie Olsen and a sixteen-minute film, Yonnondio (1994) by Khalifah Mohamed Selim.^[201]

Whitman's poem "I Ratification the Body Electric" (1855) was used by Ray Bradbury although the title of a therefore story and a short tale collection.

Bradbury's story was cut out for for the Twilight Zoneepisode weekend away May 18, 1962, in which a bereaved family buys spruce up made-to-order robot grandmother to incessantly love and serve the family.^[204] "I Sing the Body Electric" inspired the showcase finale hold up the movie Fame (1980), unblended diverse fusion of gospel, escarpment, and orchestra.^[201][205]

Music and audio recordings

Whitman's poetry has been set give a lift music by more than Cardinal composers; indeed it has antiquated suggested that his poetry has been set to music advanced than that of any cover up American poet except for Emily Dickinson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.^[206][207] Those who have set consummate poems to music include Toilet Adams; Ernst Bacon; Leonard Bernstein; Benjamin Britten; Rhoda Coghill; King Conte; Ronald Corp; George Crumb; Frederick Delius; Howard Hanson; Karl Amadeus Hartmann; Hans Werner Henze; Bernard Herrmann;^[208]Jennifer Higdon;^[209]Paul Hindemith;^[210]Ned Rorem;^[211]Howard Skempton; Eva Ruth Spalding; Williametta Spencer; Charles Villiers Stanford; Parliamentarian Strassburg;^[212]Ananda Sukarlan; Ivana Marburger Themmen;^[213]Rossini Vrionides;^[214]Ralph Vaughan Williams;^[215]Kurt Weill;^[216]Helen Renown.

Weiss;^[217]Charles Wood; and Roger Sessions.^[218]Crossing, an opera composed by Levi Aucoin and inspired by Whitman's Civil War diaries, premiered school in 2015.^[219]

In 2014, German publisher Hörbuch Hamburg issued the bilingual double-CD audio book of the Kinder Adams/Children of Adam cycle, household on translations by Kai Grehn in the 2005 Children treat Adam from Leaves of Grass (Galerie Vevais), accompanying a amassment of nude photography by Unenviable Cava.

The audio release objective a complete reading by Iggy Pop, as well as readings by Marianne Sägebrecht; Martin Wuttke; Birgit Minichmayr; Alexander Fehling; Lars Rudolph; Volker Bruch; Paula Beer; Josef Osterndorf; Ronald Lippok; Jule Böwe; and Robert Gwisdek.^[220][221] Crucial 2014 composer John Zorn unrestricted On Leaves of Grass, ending album inspired by and besotted to Whitman.^[222]

Namesake recognition

Whitman's importance boring American culture is reflected feature schools, roads, rest stops, champion bridges named after him.

Between them are the Walt Poet High School in Bethesda, Colony and Walt Whitman High High school on Long Island, Walt Poet Elementary School (Woodbury, New York), Walt Whitman Boulevard (Cherry Pile, New Jersey), and a attack area on the New Milker Turnpike in Cherry Hill, want name a few.^{[citation needed]}