march american poet journalist transition realism incorporating views works influential poets american canon called father free verse work controversial time particularly poetry collection leaves grass described overt sexuality born long_island worked journalist teacher government clerk addition publishing poetry volunteer nurse american civil war early career produced novel major work leaves grass published money work attempt reaching common person american epic continued expanding death stroke end life moved new_jersey health declined died age funeral public spectacle life work early life born town long_island parents interests thought walter second children immediately nicknamed distinguish father named seven sons american leaders george_washington oldest named boy died unnamed age months couple sixth son youngest named edward age moved family brooklyn living series homes bad investments looked childhood generally restless unhappy given family difficult economic status happy moment later recalled lifted air kissed cheek celebration brooklyn july age concluded formal schooling sought employment income family office boy lawyers later apprentice printer devil weekly long_island newspaper patriot edited learned printing press written sentimental bits filler material occasional issues aroused controversy friends attempted dig corpse create plaster mold head left patriot shortly afterward possibly result controversy early career following summer worked printer brooklyn family moved spring remained took job shop editor leading whig weekly newspaper star regular patron local library joined town debating society began attending theater performances anonymously published earliest poetry age left star brooklyn moved new_york_city work later years remember attempted find work difficulty severe fire printing publishing district general collapse economy leading rejoined family living long_island taught intermittently schools spring satisfied teacher teaching attempts went new_york found newspaper served publisher editor distributor provided home delivery months sold publication issue appeared july known surviving copies long published summer found job jamaica queens long_island democrat edited left shortly attempt teaching winter spring story possibly tells chased away teaching job new_york local preacher called allegedly biographer notes story likely regularly town biographer calls incident myth time published series editorials called sun papers desk newspapers winter july essays adopted constructed persona technique employ career moved new_york_city initially working low level job new world working continued working short periods time newspapers editor aurora editor contributed freelance fiction poetry 1840s lost position brooklyn eagle siding free soil wing democratic_party newspaper owner belonged conservative wing party delegate founding convention published word series called pen apparently drew mother family self help guide recommends nude comfortable shoes bathing daily cold water eating meat exclusively plenty fresh air getting early morning present day writers called quirky tract leaves grass claimed years competing usual rewards determined poet experimented variety popular literary genres appealed cultural tastes period early began writing leaves grass collection poetry continue editing death intended write distinctly american epic free verse based bible end june surprised brothers printed edition george didn think worth reading paid publication edition leaves grass printed local print shop breaks commercial jobs total copies printed given author instead facing title page engraved portrait lines body text calls american sensual men women apart modest inaugural volume poetry preceded prose preface lines succeeding untitled poems totaled lines lines belonging untitled poem later called song book received strongest praise wrote page letter spoke highly book friends edition widely distributed stirred significant interest approval occasionally criticized seemingly nature poetry wrote calling book author ass july days leaves grass published father died age months following edition critical responses began focusing potentially offensive sexual themes second edition printed bound publisher release end edition went retail additional poems august leaves grass revised released times remainder life known writers admired work visit including publications financial difficulties forced work journalist specifically brooklyn starting editor oversaw paper contents contributed book reviews wrote editorials left job unclear fired chose leave typically kept detailed journals left little information late 1850s civil war years american civil war beginning published poem beat beat drums patriotic rally north brother george joined union army began sending detailed letters battle december listing fallen wounded soldiers included lieutenant worried reference brother george way south immediately find stolen way walking day night unable ride trying information trying access big people later wrote eventually found george alive superficial wound cheek profoundly affected seeing wounded soldiers limbs left washington december intention returning new_york washington friend helped obtain time work army office leaving time volunteer nurse army hospitals write experience great army sick published new_york newspaper years later book called war contacted time ask help obtaining government post friend passed letter recommendation secretary treasury hoping grant position department chase want hire author book leaves grass family difficult end september brother george captured virginia brother died tuberculosis compounded alcoholism december month committed brother kings county asylum spirits raised finally got better paying government post low grade clerk thanks friend connor connor poet editor written assistant secretary interior behalf began new appointment january yearly salary month later february george released capture granted poor health received promotion slightly higher published drum effective june fired job dismissal came new secretary interior iowa senator dismissed seldom respective fired moral grounds finding edition connor protested transferred attorney general office july connor upset publishing biased exaggerated biographical study good gray poet january cent pamphlet defended patriot established poet nickname increased popularity aiding popularity publication captain captain relatively conventional poem death abraham_lincoln poem appear lifetime role attorney general office interviewing confederate soldiers presidential real characters later wrote know fancy ordinary august took month order prepare new edition published difficulty finding publisher hoped edition february poems published england thanks influence minor changes reluctantly approved edition popular england especially endorsements highly respected writer edition leaves grass issued year mistakenly reported author died railroad accident international fame increased remained attorney general office january spent caring mother nearly eighty struggling traveled invited commencement address june health decline death suffering stroke early induced washington home brother engineer stevens street new_jersey mother having fallen ill died year events difficult left depressed remained brother home buying purchasing home spent greatest period residence brother home residence productive publishing versions works fully physically active house receiving brother edward invalid birth lived house brother sister law forced business reasons bought house street boulevard taken care tenants completely time street time began widow sea captain neighbor boarding family bridge avenue blocks street moved february serve exchange free rent brought cat dog animals time produced editions spent good portion time pastoral community converting buildings summer home restored summer home preserved museum local historical society leaves grass written specimen days wrote spring creek lake lake america europe end approached prepared final edition version nicknamed deathbed edition wrote complete times moods life fair weather foul parts land peace war young old preparing death commissioned granite shaped like house visited construction week life weak lift knife fork wrote suffer time relief escape pain died march autopsy revealed lungs diminished eighth normal breathing capacity result pneumonia egg sized chest eroded ribs cause death officially listed left consumption right lung general tuberculosis public viewing body held home thousand people visited hours oak coffin barely visible flowers left days death buried tomb public ceremony held cemetery friends giving speeches live music friend delivered eulogy later remains parents brothers families moved writing work breaks boundaries poetic form generally prose like unusual images symbols poetry including rotting leaves straw debris openly wrote death sexuality including prostitution labeled father free verse poetic theory wrote preface edition proof poet country absorbed believed vital relationship poet society connection emphasized especially song powerful person narration american epic historic use elevated hero instead assumed identity common people leaves grass responded impact recent united_states masses lifestyle beliefs alcohol vocal proponent youth rarely drank alcohol stated taste strong liquor thirty occasionally argued prohibition earliest long fiction works novel published november novel wrote novel height popularity movement movement plagued contradictions years later claimed embarrassed book called damned dismissed saying wrote novel days solely money influence alcohol wrote pieces recommending including short story wish later life liberal alcohol enjoying local champagne religion deeply influenced denied faith important embraced religions equally song gave inventory major religions indicated respected accepted sentiment emphasized poem adopt theory myth god god old accounts true exception invited write poem movement responded nearly altogether poor cheap crude religious accepted churches believed god human soul immortal state progressive development encyclopedia classes figures took approach rejecting views god separate world sexuality biographers continue debate sexuality usually described homosexual bisexual feelings attractions disagreement biographers actual sexual experiences men sexual orientation generally assumed basis poetry assumption disputed poetry depicts love sexuality way common american culture sexuality late 19th century leaves grass labeled pornographic critic remarked author presumed sexual activity november review suggested guilty horrible sin mentioned christians intense friendships men boys life biographers suggested actually engaged sexual relationships males cite letters journal entries sources claim proof sexual nature relationships english poet critic spent years correspondence trying answer wrote conception possible intrusion semi sexual emotions actions doubt occur men reply denied work asserting hat allow possibility construction mention terrible hope pages mention time entirely possibility insisting fathered illegitimate children contemporary scholars skeptical denial existence children claimed likely candidate love life bus conductor met years interviewed said familiar hand knee understood end trip fact went way disguised initials code 16th 4th letters alphabet met told homosexual rights activist sexual orientation question kiss lips explicit description sexual activities told sexual encounter youth details arthur recorded journal late life asked outright poems homosexual chose respond manuscript love poem pass populous city written indicates originally man possible lover teenager lived street moved living number years serving roles bought house street grandmother space family street proximity obvious met neighbors relationship close youth sharing money described friendship thick biographers describe identify lover photograph pictured described modeled conventions marriage portrait series portraits poet young male friends male male desire intense relationship young man family stayed timber creek met gave ring returned given course stormy relationship lasting years ring wrote know thing death evidence sexual relationships women romantic friendship new_york actress spring known sexual photograph decades later moved called old sweetheart letter dated august claimed children dead claim end life told stories previous denied allegation love affair biographer wrote discussion sexual orientation probably continue spite evidence emerges swimming reportedly enjoyed bathing naked nude work training written pseudonym advises men swim naked sun wrote close nature come close nature naked sweet nature poor sick humanity cities know inherently thought fear come moods clothes wear shakespeare authorship shakespeare authorship question refusing believe historic works william_shakespeare comments november shakespeare historical plays heat pulse european ways medieval aristocracy spirit ruthless gigantic peculiar air arrogance mere imitation plays born descendant true author amazing works works respects greater recorded literature slavery opposed extension slavery united_states supported opposed believing movement harm good wrote fact slowed advancement cause main concern methods disrupted democratic process refusal southern states interests nation unpublished eighteenth presidency addressing men south wrote abolish slavery abolish widespread opinion free african americans vote concerned increasing number african americans legislature legacy influence claimed america poet democracy title meant reflect ability write american character british friend wrote understand america leaves grass expressed civilization date student philosophy history modernist poet called poet america called great poet america far considered like figure poetry agreed speculated people celebrating birth birth christ literary critic wrote introduction anniversary leaves grass american imaginative father mother like composed line verse nominate fair number literary works candidates secular scripture united_states include adventures series essays conduct life central edition time attracted influential disciples like viewed prophet future sex desire passion comrades aligned desires future socialism lifestyle adopted beat movement leaders 1950s 1960s anti war poets like numbered wild children title collection starting san_francisco deliberate reference influenced author model character said notes represented male corresponded death included informal group established home eagle street read discuss poetry group subsequently known fellowship members held annual day celebration poet birthday poetry set music large number composers suggested poetry set music american poet set poems music included crossing opera composed inspired diaries premiered crosses near home opened opened private high school catering lgbt youth inducted inducted legacy walk outdoor public display celebrates lgbt history people based german translation cycle radio feature bilingual double audio book including complete reading pop released germany featuring composer released leaves grass album inspired dedicated works leaves grass seven editions drum democratic war specimen days
Walt Whitman