Walt Whitman

Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman was a poet, journalist, and essaying author born in New York in 1819. Often referred to as the father of free verse, Whitman made quite an impact in the writing world and published hundreds of poems during his lifetime. His most celebrated free verse, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855, even though he kept on improving it until his death in 1892. Aside from publishing his poetry, Whitman worked as a volunteer nurse during the civil war. He became paralyzed after a stroke in 1873 and for the next two decades lived with his brother, mostly writing prose.