Walt Whitman (1819-1892) I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you
Excerpt from Song of Myself Life Born: 31 May 1819 Birthplace: Long Island, New York. Died:26 March 1892 Born in a working-class family, son of a carpenter At four, family moved to Brooklyn, New York Attended public school Apprenticed to a printer Returned to Long Island in 1835 and taught in country schools Edited a newspaper, the Long-Islander, in Huntington Back to New York City to work as a printer and journalist Experienced various jobs Began writing a new kind of poetry (free verse) Whitman's democratic ideals& individualism America’s first “poet of democracy” Whitman's democratic ideas govern his poetry-writing. In his famous poetry, openness, freedom, and above all, individualism (the belief that the rights and freedom of individual people are most important) are all that concerned him. Whitman brings the hard-working farmers and laborers into American literature ,attack the slavery system and racial discrimination. The themes in Whitman's poetry filled with optimistic expectation and enthusiasm about new things and new epoch. The whole hard-working people The burgeoning life of cities. The fast growth of industry and wealth in cities 2. Individual value Pursuit of love and happiness Sexual love The individual person and his desires must be respected. America’s first “poet of democracy” Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. Proclaimed the "greatest of all American poets" by many foreign observers a mere four years after his death. His Leaves of Grass has always been considered a monumental work. mands great attention because of its uniquely poetic embodiment of American democratic ideals. He is the poet of mon people and the prophet and singer of democracy. Influence Influences the 20th century world literature: His works is part of
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