Walt Whitman
Walter Whitman Jr. was an American poet, essayist, and journalist, considered one of the most influential poets in American literature.
Born in 1819, he worked various jobs before publishing his major work, Leaves of Grass, in 1855.
This controversial collection, which he continually revised until his death, aimed to create an American epic accessible to the common person.
Whitman's free verse style and themes of democracy, nature, and sexuality were groundbreaking.
He worked in hospitals during the Civil War and wrote poems about Lincoln's assassination.
Whitman died in 1892, leaving a lasting impact on American poetry and culture.
