Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. He is considered one of the most important figures in American literature. His poetry is known for its free verse style and its celebration of the individual and the common man.
Whitman was born in West Hills, New York, in 1819. He grew up in Brooklyn, where he worked as a printer and journalist.
Also Read: List of 8 Famous Poems by Walt Whitman
In 1855, he published the first edition of Leaves of Grass, a collection of poems that would become his magnum opus. Leaves of Grass was controversial for its frankness about sexuality and its celebration of the body.
However, it also won praise for its innovative style and its powerful message of democracy and equality.
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Whitman continued to expand and revise Leaves of Grass throughout his lifetime. He also published other works of poetry, including Drum-Taps (1865) and Democratic Vistas (1871). He died in Camden, New Jersey, in 1892.
Family Overview
Although Walt Whitman did not have a family of his own he had many siblings and talked about them often.
His family had many generations in New York but went back even further to Connecticut. They had lived in New York during Colonial America but had originally come to the 13 original colonies and resided in Connecticut and possibly Massachusetts.
Also Read: 10 Facts about Colonial America
Walt Whitman enjoyed his siblings and wrote about them. The Whitman line would be carried on through his brothers and sisters.
Family Tree Chart
Parents:
Walt Whitman Sr. (1789 - 1855) - He and his wife had nine children and he had a strong sense of patriotism that he passed on to his children.
Louisa Van Velsor (1795 - 1873) - She was the mother of nine children, eight of whom lived to adulthood, is best known, of course, for her birthing of her second child, Walt, born when Louisa was twenty-four years old.
Spouse: None
Children: None
Siblings:
*There was a possible miscarriage prior to the birth of Andrew in 1825.
Jesse Whitman (1818) - He died at birth or an infant.
Mary Elizabeth Whitman Van Nostrand (1821–1899) - She married and had two children to carry on the bloodline.
Hannah Louisa Van Velsor (1823 – 1908) - She married and had children. She lived until she was in her 80s, which was rare at that time.
Andrew Jackson Whitman (1825 – 1863) - He was the first to be named after a President of the United States. He was the brother of the poet Walt Whitman and was named Andrew Jackson Whitman. The family nickname for him was apparently "Bunkum." He died during the Civil War but had already married and had children.
George Washington Whitman (1829 – 1901) - Civil War Union Army Officer. Ten years younger than his famous poet brother, he was born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1834, he moved with his parents, Walter and Louisa, and his siblings to Long Island, New York. In "My Boys and Girls" Walt Whitman remembers happy boyhood times with him. He married and had one child.
Thomas Jefferson Whitman (1833 - 1890) - Walt Whitman's enthusiasm for engineering accomplishments was magnified because of his pride in his brother Jeff, who had moved west in 1867 to become chief engineer charged with building and overseeing waterworks for St. Louis. He went on to marry and have two children.
Edward L. Whitman (1835 – 1892) - He died without marrying and was in his 50s when he perished.