Highlighted story of
the week -
On May 31, 1819, poet Walt Whitman was born in West Hills,
Long Island, New York. Although Whitman loved music and books, he left school
at the age of 14 to become a journeyman printer. Later, he worked as a teacher,
journalist, editor, carpenter, and held various other jobs to support his
writing. In 1855, he self-published a slim volume of poems called Leaves of Grass, which carried his
picture but not his name. With this book, Whitman hoped to become a truly “American”
poet, as envisioned in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “The Poet” (1843).
Whitman spent much time in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long
Island, attending cultural events, taking long walks, and sometimes riding on
coaches and ferries as an excuse to talk with people. In 1856, the second
edition of Leaves of Grass included
his “Sundown Poem,” later called “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.”
In 1862, Whitman’s brother was wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg,
and Whitman went to care for him. He spent the rest of the war comforting both
Union and Confederate soldiers. His poem “Oh Captain, My Captain,” mourned
Lincoln’s assassination. Whitman worked for several government departments
after the war until he suffered a stroke in 1873. He spent the remainder of his
life in Camden, New Jersey, and continued to issue revised editions of Leaves of Grass until shortly before his
death on March 26, 1892. He was buried at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden.
Check back every
Friday for a new installment of “This Week in Literary History.”
Michael Thomas Barry is the author of six nonfiction books
that includes the award winning Literary
Legends of the British Isles and America’s
Literary Legends. Visit Michael’s website www.michaelthomasbarry.com for
more information. His books can be purchased from Amazon through the following
links:
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