Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman, the most prominent American poet of the previous century (1819-1892), was of English and Dutch descent. In his youth, he was forced to abandon his studies to work as a carpenter, builder, printer, and teacher. Starting in 1838, he began collaborating with newspapers and magazines. Deeply influenced by Emerson's theories, he published his collection "Leaves of Grass" in its first form in 1855, consisting of twelve poems. Since then, he enriched this collection with new compositions in successive editions, gaining the recognition of ardent admirers such as Swinburne and O.M. Rossetti, while also facing the skepticism of the broader public, mainly due to his advanced views on morality. During the American Civil War, he served as a volunteer nurse, an experience that left a lasting impression on him and which he documented in his "War Memoranda" (1875). Other works include "Democratic Vistas" (1871), "Specimen Days" (1882), "November Boughs" (1888), and "Good-Bye My Fancy" (1891).