Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman, a famous American poet known as the "founder of free verse," was born in New York in 1819. He is renowned for his amazing and epic collection of American poetry, which includes the 1855 poem "Leaves of Grass." This was the sole poet whose work was praised and distinguished itself as having something to say about sexuality, freedom, and love of country. In his adult life, he wrote science fiction and was well-known for it.
Free verse is a type of poetry in which there are no predictable meter patterns, rhymes, or other musical structures. Perhaps the most significant American contribution to poetry was made by Walt Whitman, the father of free verse. Although most of his writing does not openly touch politics, it generally engages with democracy in a way that is uniquely American. Because of this, Whitman is frequently referred to as America's first "poet of democracy."
Whitman continued to work on his poetry collection Leaves of Grass throughout his life, and by the time of his passing, it had more than 400 poems. Leaves of Grass was once deemed offensive due to its overt sexuality, but over time it came to be regarded as one of the most important pieces of American poetry. Without a doubt, Walt Whitman has had a significant impact on poetry throughout history, and many consider him to be the greatest American poet to have ever lived.
Famous Poems:
- Song of Myself (1855)
- O Captain! My Captain! (1867)
- When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d (1865)
Lifespan: May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892
