1819-1892 American Poet
At age 13 he became a printer's assistant on several papers around New York City. He worked his way up in the newspaper business until he was the founder/editor of a Huntington, Long Island, newspaper, The Long Islander. About 1848 he had begun writing poetry in earnest. His first published book of poetry was Leaves of Grass 1855. This was such a success that he continued to write and publish larger editions of Leaves of Grass.
Other volumes:
Specific poems he wrote include:
It wasn't until decades after his death that Whitman came to be recognized as one of the major American creative forces.
Sources:
www.iath.virginia.edu/whitman/
McMichael, George, "Anthology of American Literature", Macmillan Publishing, NY, 1985
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wwhome.html
Last Updated 03.30.03