Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman is America's world poet and is considered one of the greatest poets in the English language.

Poet

May 31, 1819

Gemini

March 31, 1892

72

Long Island, New York

Walt Whitman, a prominent American poet and journalist, is renowned for his revolutionary work “Leaves of Grass,” which celebrates nature, democracy, and love. His most well-known poem, “Song of Myself,” exemplifies his call for literary independence and self-expression. Whitman’s poetry laid the foundation for a new style of poetry and inspired poets such as Ezra Pound, Allen Ginsberg, and William Carlos Williams. Some of his other distinguished works include “O Captain! My Captain!,” “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d,” and “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.” Whitman’s influence on poetry endures, and he is often regarded as one of the greatest poets in the English language and referred to as America’s world poet.