Walt Whitman

American, 1819–1892

Walt Whitman (1819–1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist whose poetry collection Leaves of Grass is a landmark of American literature. First published in 1855 and continuously revised throughout his life, the collection celebrates democracy, nature, love, and the human body with a revolutionary free-verse style that broke from traditional poetic forms. Whitman is often called the father of free verse and one of America's most influential poets.