Poetic Hero
America has been filled with golden dark obstacles. From racial discrimination to the Great Depression, from Civil War to World War, there are heroes who tried to make changes. “I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself”. These lines are from Walt Whitman’s “Song to Myself’ embodied the complications of this remarkable American Poet. In this quote, Whitman was discussing the concept of celebrating who he is as a human being, even if it’s flawed, contradictory, or imperfect. He influenced a lot of poets and achieved Peace and Justice to his country just by writing poems. “O Captain! My Captain!” in the memory of Abraham Lincoln is one of the most patriotic poem in American history. The following paragraphs will be about Walt Whitman’s way of changing history, his accomplishments and means, and the background behind his ideas.
Born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York, Whitman was the second of the nine children. He left school at the age of eleven to support his family. He worked as a law office clerk, and later, as a typesetter’s apprentice. He began to learn the printer’s trade, and fell in love with written-words. In 1833, after teaching school, he started his own newspaper, and began editing various papers. Whitman voraciously taught himself about the work of Shakespeare, Dante Alighieri, Homer, and the Bible. He was deeply influenced by Deism, embracing and respecting all religious equally. In 1855, Whitman published his masterpiece collection of poem, “Leaves of Grass”, with his own money.
Whitman worked as a journalist, a teacher, a government clerk, and a volunteered nurse in the Civil War. During the Civil War, when his brother “George” was wounded, Whitman volunteered himself as a nurse and treated the soldiers. Whitman’s accomplishment has been truly remarkable. His collection of poems “Leaves of Grass”, which is now the landmark of American Literature, inspired and influenced notable writers in the history. Whitman was considered as one of the “Most Influential Poet”. Whitman was also known as the “Bard of Democracy”, and claimed the title of America’s first “Poet of Democracy”. The title reflects on his ability to write