Literary Legacy of Walt Whitman, the Father of Free Verse

During the 19th century, Walt Whitman was a very influential poet as he was recognized as the “father of free verse,” thus initiating the transition between transcendentalism and realism by incorporating free thinking with individualism. Additionally, he was often ridiculed for his usage of free-verse and excess usage of sexual writing within his collection of poems Leaves of Grass; however, today, this book is considered a classic with wondrous elements of nature and self-reliance.

In Songs of Myself, Whitman introduces the poem by praising himself and how he intends to “celebrate myself,” creating a heavily egotistical sensation. Moreover, throughout the poem, he compares his characters to various natural elements and elaborates on their animal-like characteristics, establishing his belief that there is a relationship between all people and things and that society would be improved if they had faith in nature. At the same time, however, Whitman opposes people who think they know the truth and implies that people should depend less on their studies and more on exploring the world to gain information and knowledge. Thus, this poem creates a transcendentalist point of view, as Whitman implies that individualism and self-reliance are crucial to success.

Similarly, in When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer, Whitman describes himself bored in an astronomy lecture, forcing himself to leave the classroom and enjoy the scenery of the sky and stars. Through this poem, he conveys a sense of independence and self-reliance as he goes out to explore and figure out the stars for himself, rather than relying on his professor to talk about them. The idea of protesting against intellectualism at the time was heavily ridiculed against, yet Whitman still continued to express his belief that people should figure things out with their minds and rely less on others.

In I Hear America Singing, a sense of nationalism is present as Whitman describes the hard work various groups of people undergo, and despite their struggles, they all show pride in their work. Through his acknowledgment of people from all careers, he praises his country and fellow citizens, describing them as “robust” and “friendly.” Moreover, individualism is evident in this poem as the workers “each sing… what belongs to him or her and to none else,” further expanding Whitman’s beliefs that people are at their best when they are self-reliant.

In By the Bivouac’s Fitful Flame, Whitman is sitting next to a fire, nervously thinking that the bushes are watching him and that the fire around him is a living being. This poem creates a very transcendentalist point of view as he emphasizes the divinity and connection of nature to people. Because transcendentalists were very spiritual people, they believed nature was sacred and that if one were to develop a strong relationship with it, they would be able to be free from society’s constraints. This is why Whitman always included aspects of nature into his poems. In A Noiseless Patient Spider, he discusses the intricate, beautiful webbings of a spider, and in Out of the Rolling Ocean the Crowd, he compares himself to the ocean and the love he has for it. Overall, Walt Whitman was one of the most influential poets in American history by adapting free-verse poetry, while also establishing transcendentalism as one of the most prominent genres of writing.