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Informationen zum Autor Kirsten Anderson; Illustrated by Tim Foley Klappentext How did a New York printer become one of the most influential poets of all time? Find out in this addition to the Who HQ library! Walt Whitman was a printer, journalist, editor, and schoolteacher. But today, he's recognized as one of America's founding poets, a man who changed American literature forever. Throughout his life, Walt journeyed everywhere, from New York to New Orleans, Washington D.C. to Denver, taking in all that America had to offer. With the Civil War approaching, he saw a nation deeply divided, but he also understood the power of words to inspire unity. So in 1855, Walt published a short collection of poems, Leaves of Grass, a book about the America he saw and believed in. Though hated and misunderstood by many at the time, Walt's writing introduced an entirely new writing style: one that broke forms, and celebrated the common man, human body, and the diversity of America. Generations later, readers can still find themselves in Whitman's words, and recognize the America he depicts. Who Was Walt Whitman? follows his remarkable journey from a young New York printer to one of America's most beloved literary figures. Leseprobe Who Was Walt Whitman? It was a hot day in July 1854. The photographer Gabriel Harrison stood in the doorway of his Brooklyn studio, watching the people pass by on the city street. Suddenly, he recognized a friend. He called out and asked him to come in for a photo session. His friend hesitated. Harrison called again. “Do come: come: I’m dying for something to do.” His friend was interested in photography and liked being in photo studios. Photography was still a very new technology. He went in and let Harrison take his picture. A year later, Walt Whitman was getting ready to publish a book of his poems called Leaves of Grass. Walt didn’t put his name on the cover as the poet. Instead, he just included a picture of himself inside. He chose Harrison’s photo from that summer day. In Leaves of Grass, the poems didn’t rhyme. Many were written about things that nice, polite people didn’t talk about at that time, like relationships and the human body. People were shocked. Leaves of Grass was not like other poetry, and some people didn’t even consider it to be poetry at all. For many, the photo of Walt was just as surprising as the poems. Poets were supposed to look elegant and thoughtful. They would wear a jacket and tie—-respectable clothing. But Walt Whitman was dressed like an ordinary workingman. He wore an open--neck shirt and rough pants. He had on a battered hat that was tilted down over one eye. And he certainly didn’t look like he was dreaming up delicate lines of poetry. He had one hand in his pocket and one on his hip. He stared into the camera defiantly. Years later, Walt would say he wasn’t sure about the photo. He thought he looked angry, like he was “hurling bolts at somebody.” But he also admitted that he liked it because it was “natural, honest, easy.” Walt’s poems were supposed to be for everyone, including the working people who dressed like he had in the picture. Walt wanted to be a poet for all Americans. In order to do that, he had to change the way poetry was written. He had to create a new way of writing that matched the energy and diversity of the young nation. Walt kept revising Leaves of Grass throughout his entire life. In some editions, he used more traditional photos of himself. But in most versions, he included the Harrison picture. It made the most sense. It was the photo that matched his style of groundbreaking poetry the best. No one expected that Walt Whitman would be the person who shook up American literature. He had been a newspaper editor, journalist, and printer. He had written a novel that even he thought was very bad. But he had been preparing his whole life to become this n...
