Walt whitman biography summary of thomas

Having continued to produce new editions of Leaves of Grass along with original works, Whitman died on March 26,in Camden, New Jersey. The second of Louisa Van Velsor's and Walter Whitman's eight surviving children, he grew up in a family of modest means. While earlier Whitmans had owned a large parcel of farmland, much of it had been sold off by the time he was born.

As a result, Whitman's father struggled through a series of attempts to recoup some of that earlier wealth as a farmer, carpenter and real estate speculator. Whitman's own love for America and its democracy can be at least partially attributed to his upbringing and his parents, who showed their own admiration for their country by naming Whitman's younger brothers after their favorite American heroes.

At the age of three, the young Whitman moved with his family to Brooklyn, where his father hoped to take advantage of the economic opportunities in New York City. But his bad investments prevented him from achieving the success he craved. At 11, Whitman was taken out of school by his father to help out with household income. He started to work as an office boy for a Brooklyn-based attorney team and eventually found employment in the printing business.

His father's increasing dependence on alcohol and conspiracy-driven politics contrasted sharply with his son's preference for a more optimistic course more in line with his mother's disposition. When he was 17, Whitman turned to teaching, working as an educator for five years in various parts of Long Island. Whitman generally loathed the work, especially considering the rough circumstances he was forced to teach under, and byhe set his sights on journalism.

Inhe had started a weekly called the Long Islander that quickly folded though the publication would eventually be reborn and later returned to New York City, where he worked on fiction and continued his newspaper career. Inhe became editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eaglea prominent newspaper, serving in that capacity for almost two years. Whitman proved to be a volatile journalist, with a sharp pen and a set of opinions that didn't always align with his bosses or his readers.

He backed what some considered radical positions on women's property rights, immigration and labor issues.

Walt whitman biography summary of thomas: Walt Whitman, arguably America's most influential

He lambasted the infatuation he saw among his fellow New Yorkers with certain European ways and wasn't afraid to go after the editors of other newspapers. Not surprisingly, his job tenure was often short and had a tarnished reputation with several different newspapers. It was a relatively short stay for Whitman—just three months—but it was where he saw for the first time the wickedness of slavery.

Whitman returned to Brooklyn in the autumn of and started a new "free soil" newspaper called the Brooklyn Freemanwhich eventually became a daily despite initial challenges. Over the ensuing years, as the nation's temperature over the slavery question continued to rise, Whitman's own anger over the issue elevated as well. He often worried about the impact of slavery on the future of the country and its democracy.

It was during this time that he turned to a simple 3. He continued to teach until when he turned to journalism as a full-time career. He founded a weekly newspaper, Long-Islander, and later edited a number of Brooklyn and New York papers. In New Orleans, he became witness to the practice of slavery in the city and was repulsed by what he saw. Whitman opposed the extension of slavery, though did not always support the abolitionists, over concerns about their commitment to democracy.

He closely followed politics throughout his life. As well as journalism, Whitman became absorbed in poetry, writing a unique and distinctive style. I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. He published the volume himself and sent a copy to Ralph Waldo Emerson in July of He was astonished by the unique style of Whitman.

I am very happy in reading it, as great power makes us happy. He praised the volume extensively, and this helped Whitman gain greater recognition. But I am not at all clear about that. As America, from its many far-back sources and current supplies, develops, adapts, entwines, faithfully identifies its own—are we to see it cheerfully accepting and using all the contributions of foreign lands from the whole outside globe—and then rejecting the only ones distinctively its own—the autochthonic ones?

As to the Spanish stock of our Southwest, it is certain to me that we do not begin to appreciate the splendor and sterling value of its race element. Who knows but that element, like the course of some subterranean river, dipping invisibly for a hundred or two years, is now to emerge in broadest flow and permanent action? Whitman has been claimed as the first "poet of democracy" in the United States, a title meant to reflect his ability to write in a singularly American character.

Literary critic Harold Bloom wrote, as the introduction for the th anniversary of Leaves of Grass :. If you are American, then Walt Whitman is your imaginative father and mother, even if, like myself, you have never composed a line of verse. You can nominate a fair number of literary works as candidates for the secular Scripture of the United States.

None of those, not even Emerson's, are as central as the first edition of Leaves of Grass. In his own time, Whitman attracted an influential coterie of disciples and admirers. Among his admirers were the Eagle Street Collegean informal group established in at the home of James William Wallace on Eagle Street in BoltonEngland, to read and discuss the poetry of Whitman.

The group subsequently became known as the Bolton Whitman Fellowship or Whitmanites.

Walt whitman biography summary of thomas: Walter Whitman Jr was an American

Its members held an annual "Whitman Day" celebration around the poet's birthday. Fansler to record her memories of Whitman during a series of interviews that took place between and In the interviews Jessie is noted for her faithfulness and lifelong interest in her uncle. Whitman is one of the most influential American poets. Modernist poet Ezra Pound called Whitman "America's poet Some, like Oscar Wilde and Edward Carpenterviewed Whitman both as a prophet of a utopian future and of same-sex desire—the passion of comrades.

This aligned with their own desires for a future of brotherly socialism. Stoker said in his notes that Dracula represented the quintessential male which, to Stoker, was Whitman, with whom he corresponded until Whitman's death. Whitman's life and verse have been referenced in a substantial number of works of film and video. Whitman visits an insane asylum in London, Ontariowhere some of his ideas are adopted as part of an occupational therapy program.

Whitman's poem "I Sing the Body Electric" was used by Ray Bradbury as the title of a short story and a short story collection. Bradbury's story was adapted for the Twilight Zone episode of May 18,in which a bereaved family buys a made-to-order robot grandmother to forever love and serve the family. Whitman's poetry has been set to music by more than composers; indeed it has been suggested that his poetry has been set to music more than that of any other American poet except for Emily Dickinson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Weiss ; [ ] Charles Wood ; and Roger Sessions. Whitman's importance in American culture is reflected in schools, roads, rest stops, and bridges named after him. The controversy that surrounded the naming of the Walt Whitman bridge has been documented in a series of letters from members of the public, which are held in the University of Pennsylvania library.

Many objecting to the choice of his name for the bridge saw Whitman's work as sympathizing with communist ideals and criticized him for his egalitarian view of humanity. Whitman was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in[ ] and, inhe was inducted into the Legacy Walkan outdoor public display that celebrates LGBT history and people.

A coed summer camp founded in in Piermont, New Hampshireis named after Whitman. A crater on Mercury is named for him. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects.

Walt whitman biography summary of thomas: Whitman lived in Brooklyn as a

Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikisource Wikidata item. American poet, essayist and journalist — For other uses, see Walt Whitman disambiguation. Huntington, New YorkU. Camden, New JerseyU. Life and work [ edit ]. Early life [ edit ]. Career [ edit ]. Leaves of Grass [ edit ]. Main article: Leaves of Grass. Civil War years [ edit ]. Health decline and death [ edit ].

An recording thought to be Walt Whitman reading the opening four lines of his poem "America". Problems playing this file? See media help. Writing [ edit ]. Poetic theory [ edit ]. Lifestyle and beliefs [ edit ]. Alcohol [ edit ]. Religion [ edit ].

Walt whitman biography summary of thomas: Walt Whitman was born in West

Sexuality [ edit ]. Shakespeare authorship [ edit ]. Slavery [ edit ]. Nationalism [ edit ]. Legacy and influence [ edit ]. American poets [ edit ]. Latin American poets [ edit ]. European authors [ edit ]. Film and television [ edit ]. Music and audio recordings [ edit ]. Namesake recognition [ edit ]. Works [ edit ]. Library resources about Walt Whitman.

Online books Resources in your library Resources in other libraries. See also [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. Poetry Foundation. Archived from the original on July 4, Retrieved July 4, January 12, Retrieved January 20, His ancestry was typical of the region: his mother, Louisa Van Velsor, was Dutch, and his father, Walter Whitman, was of English descent.

Martin's Press. ISBN Judith Tick, Paul E. Beaudoin ed. Oxford University Press: Lewisburg, Pennsylvania: Bucknell University Press. At the beginning ofhe served as a teacher in Long Island. Despite having a series of challenges in life, he did not give up writing. Walt kept on polishing his writing skills and published his first novel in Although this prolific poet led a life full of trials, he successfully attained a respectable place in the world of literature.

He could not obtain formal education due to the financial crisis as he had to leave school to feed his family. He worked as an editor, journalist, teacher and freelance writer. He also continued pursuing his interest in reading and writing. Inhe suffered from depression and faced two severe strokes in his life resulting in paralysis.

This iconic figure breathed his last on the 28 th of March in at Mickle Street. Walt managed to excel in his writing talent without formal education.