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Walt Whitman was born in West Hills, NY in 1819, though he lived most of his life in New York City, where he was a poet and journalist.
He is called the Father of Free Verse, and is one of the most influential American poets.
His best-known work is Leaves of Grass, published first in 1855 He would return to this work, adding more poems with every new edition. His work was criticized for its portrayal of sexuality. Most think he was either gay or bisexual.
Whitman was deeply affected by the Civil War, and his best-known poem “O Captain! My Captain!”, which is about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
If you want to recite one of Whitman’s poems here, but want to avoid sexual themes. Choose “O Captain! My Captain!”
Whitman died in 1891.
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Walt Whitman from Leaves of Grass, published in 1887