Whitman Walt

Walt Whitman (1819–1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and novelist, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American literature and the father of free verse. Born into a working-class family on Long Island, he worked as a printer, teacher, and editor before self-publishing his landmark poetry collection *Leaves of Grass* in 1855, which celebrated democracy, nature, and sensuality amid controversy. He continued revising *Leaves of Grass* throughout his life, served as a volunteer nurse during the Civil War, and produced works like *Drum-Taps* until his death in Camden, New Jersey.