Walt and Dr. Mary

Walt Whitman's Journey to Becoming a Poet

Walt Whitman, a self-educated writer and philosopher, found his calling as a poet after hearing Ralph Waldo Emerson's call for a truly American poet. Despite limited education, Walt immersed himself in libraries and museums, constantly reading and conversing with others. After facing numerous setbacks and publishing failures, Walt took a do-it-yourself approach and self-printed his collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. Although initially not well-received, the endorsement from Emerson fueled his confidence and he continued adding more poems and publishing new versions of his book. His writing career took a pause during the Civil War, where he devoted his time to caring for wounded soldiers. After the war, he resumed publishing and promoting Leaves of Grass, creating final versions up until his death.