Walt Whitman

Birthplace of Walt Whitman. Born:

May 31, 1819
West Hills, New York
 Interesting Facts
• Walt was the second child of nine of Walter
Whitman and Louisa Van Velsor.
• After the assassination of President Lincoln
he wrote a poem called “Oh Captain! My
Captain!.”
• Four of Walt Whitman's early notebooks
containing fragments and revisions of the
poem "Song of Myself", were out of print
from 1942 and only appeared again on
February 24, 1995
A young man with the dream of
becoming a famous poet!
Walt Whitman’s Home
Famous quote from Walt Whitman.
Famous quote by Walt Whitman
Favorite quote of mine from Whitman.
If more people believed this then
there would be less suicide.
 Teaching and Jobs and his family
before his true calling a poet.
• Five years, beginning in 1836, he taught
school on Long Island; during this time he
also founded the weekly newspaper Long-
Islander.
• Walt Whitman married and fathered three
children he had a boy named Edward and
two girls named Rachel and Hailey.
 Whitman’s First edition of Leaves of
Grass.
• Whitman sudden journalist and slash writer into a ground-
breaking poet. The first edition of Leaves of Grass (1855) opened
with a rather different portrait of Whitman, the "poet of the
people," was dressed in a workman's clothing. He wanted his
poetry to celebrate the new nation. Out of the twelve poems
(the titles were added later), "Song of Myself," "The Sleepers,"
"There Was a Child Went Forth," and "I Sing the Body Electric"
are the most well known today. In these poems Whitman turned
his back on the literary of the past. He stressed the rhythms of
common American speech, delighting in informal and slang
expressions.
•
The second edition of Leaves of Grass.
• The first edition did not sell well.
• So Walt Whitman went for a second edition
and added 20 more poems to the the second
edition. It was released in (1856.) Some of
the new poems that were added were,
"Crossing Brooklyn Ferry""Salut au Monde!,"
"A Woman Waits for Me," and "Spontaneous
Me." This edition did not sell well either.
The third edition of Leaves of grass.
• The third edition of leaves of Grass when
Whitman put this version out it was actually
published not on his own but by the Boston
Publisher. He kept the first 32 poems and
then added another 146 new ones. Not sure
how this version sold I cannot find anymore
info on it.
 The fourth edition of Leaves of Grass

• The fourth edition it was scandalized by its

sexual reference.

•
 The Civil War and Walt Whitman.
• During the Civil War (1861-65) Whitman
took off to search for his brother George in
Virginia it was reported that George was
hurt fighting the war. Whitman experienced
the war first hand he worked in the
paymasters office where he saw illness and
death then he contracted hospital malaria. A
few months later he recovered and wrote
Drum-Taps in (1865) war gave him the will
and experience to write Drum-Tap.
 After the Civil War.

• After the Civil War and the publication of the

fourth edition, Whitman's poetry became
increasingly preoccupied with themes relating to the
soul, death, and immortality.
• Whitman was in his final phase of his career.
Within the span of some years, the poet had given
way to the poet of internationalism and the cosmic.
"Whispers of Heavenly Death,“
• "Darest Thou Now O Soul,“
• "The Last Invocation,"
• "A Noiseless Patient Spider," poem of the post-Civil
War period.
 Dreams were conquered. Walt
Whitman has written over 280 poems.
Also there were several places named
after him.
Walt Whitman Bridge built 1953-1957
Crosses the Delaware River.
Walt Whitman high school, mall,
• Eidolons
• For You, O Democracy
• From Pent-Up Aching Rivers
• I Hear America Singing
• Me Imperturbe
• Native Moments
• Once I Pass'd Through a Populous City
• One Hour to Madness and Joy
• Roots and Leaves Themselves Alone
• Spontaneous Me
• We Two, How Long We Were Fool'd
• A Woman Waits for Me
 Poems
• Aboard at a Ship's Helm
• Adieu to a Soldier
• After the Sea-Ship
• After the Supper and Talk
• Ages and Ages Returning at Intervals
• Ah Poverties, Wincings, and Sulky Retreats
• All Is Truth
• Among the Multitude
• Are You the New Person Drawn Towards Me?
• An Army Corps on the March
Walt Whitman’s final resting place.
Died: March 26, 1892
Camden, New Jersey
American poet
 Work Cited
Walt Whitman Biography - family, childhood, children, death, school,
young, book, information, born, time
http://www.notablebiographies.com/We-Z/Whitman-
Walt.html#ixzz1p9G2facI
http://www.usefultrivia.com/poetry/walt_whitman.html
: Walt Whitman Biography - family, childhood, children, death, school,
young, book, information, born, time
http://www.notablebiographies.com/We-Z/Whitman-
Walt.html#ixzz1pVN3KKBO
http://www.blackcatpoems.com/w/walt_whitman.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Walt_Whitman.aspx
"Walt Whitman." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004.
Encyclopedia.com. 18 Mar. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Walt-Whitman---His-life-and-
Poetry-182170.html