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Walt Whitman (1819-1892) is one of America's truly great poets and essayists. Whitman's work - from the poetry of Leaves of Grass to the political essays of Democratic Vistas - stands as an original assertion of the worth of the individual and the communal value of humanity. His refusal to write in conventional poetic traditions brought a free verse style of poetry to the American public, one that celebrated all aspects of life, love, freedom, and politics. Whitman's experiences in the civil war inspired the dramatic insights found in "Drum Taps," and his elegy to Lincoln, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" remains a classic text in American literature. Whether you're studying the allegorical quality of "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," or the metaphysical context of "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," Whitman is a provocative writer whose originality represents a unique era in the renaissance of American literature. |
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