An Everlasting Impact on American Literature
Introduction
Leaves of grass is a popular collection of poems that represent American democracy. Walt Whitman, the author of Leaves of Grass, has impacted many people even to this very day. The purpose of this essay is to recognize the impact that Walt Whitman made on literature. In addition to this, the purpose of this essay is to acknowledge the impact that he made on the people who read his works and for them to make his poems and his legacy live on for many years to come. As you may know Leaves of Grass is a very influential book that left a major impact on American literature.
About the Author
Self taught American poet, Walt Whitman, was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hill, New York. Whitman went to school in Brooklyn and started taking printing trade lessons. When he was about 12 years old, he got a job. Whitman started working at his first job as a printer. Sadly until something devastating had happened. According to poets.org, “He worked as a printer in New York City until a devastating fire in the printing district demolished the industry,”(poets.org). That was when his printing career had ended. Not soon after that he decided to take on the role as a teacher in Long Island. A little bit down the road he became a journalist in his twenties. He also ventured into editing papers, which led him to a popular news paper, Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Nearly ten years later, Whitman dove into real estate while enjoying building houses in New York as well. Whitman’s also had a love for poetry, this began to develop more and more over the years living in New York. He enjoyed plays by William Shakespear, and the opera that was incorporated in these plays. As the years began to pass, Whitman had tons of poems written, which inspired him to want to release his very own authentic poetry by now. Whitman could not find a publisher to release his poetry, so he decided that he would still release a poem without one, even though this meant that he would have to publish at his own cost . After selling a home, is when his first print of Leaves of Grass was released on the fourth of july of 1855.
About the Book
Walt Whitman’s book, leaves of grass, is a book that is a collection of poems. Walt Whitman’s book, Leaves of grass, contains a collection of twelve poems. These twelve poems were written over the years that were spent as a hobby as he was involved in his other interests or jobs. Leaves of Grass was officially released to the public on the fourth of july of 1855. While he also did not have a publisher, he also did not have a cover for his book, Leaves of Grass. Whitman spent lots of time creating the cover of his book until it was perfect. According to poets.org, “Upon the completion, he sent a copy to Ralph Waldo Emerson, who praised it so highly that Whitman reprinted the letter, in subsequent editions — without obtaining Emerson’s permission. The letter from Emerson included the now famous line: “I greet you at the beginning of a great career,”(poets.org). What Emerson said to Whitman was very inspiring to him and made him feel confident when releasing. He received an incredible amount of positive feedback to his book, Leaves of Grass. Whitman’s style included lots of free verse and was patriotic as well. The themes were mainly him praising American democracy alongside America’s achievements. Critics were struck by how well written Whitman’s book was.
Legacy
As you may know Leaves of Grass is a very influential book that left a major impact on American literature. Whitman’s wide variety of topics he wrote on made the public idolize him for his openness and appreciation of America. According to “The Influence of Whitman’s Journalism on ‘Leaves of Grass,”, “Whitman influenced people’s opinions on international, national, and local affairs, writing on a wide variety of topics,”(Bergman, 1918). WHitman left a great legacy behind him for people to interpret his take on American democracy. Leaves of Grass is described as “an unavoidable influence on American poetry,”(poets.org).
Works Cited
“Amazon.com: Leaves of Grass (Leather-bound Classics) EBook: Whitman, Walt, Mondschein, Ken: Kindle Store.” Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More, www.amazon.com/Leaves-Grass-Leather-bound-Classics-Whitman-ebook/dp/B07CSGRTYN.
Bergman, Herbert. “The Influence of Whitman’s Journalism on ‘Leaves of Grass.’” American Literary Realism, 1870–1910, vol. 3, no. 4, 1970, pp. 399–404. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27747730. Accessed 31 Mar. 2021.
“Grad Student Discovers A Lost Novel Written By Walt Whitman.” NPR.org, 21 Feb. 2017, www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/21/516442353/grad-student-discovers-a-lost-novel-written-by-walt-whitman.
“How to Properly Care, Store, Handle, and Retire the American Flag.” Metro Self Storage, 4 Nov. 2017, blog.metrostorage.com/how-to-properly-care-store-handle-and-retire-the-american-flag/.
“Leaves of Grass.” Poets.org | Academy of American Poets, 4 Feb. 2014, poets.org/book/leaves-grass. Accessed 31 Mar. 2020.
“Leaves of Grass | Walt Whitman Quotes, Walt Whitman Poems, Whitman Poems.” Pinterest, 26 2017, br.pinterest.com/pin/489133209528795629/.
