Walt Whitman
Poet and humanist (1819 - 1892) United States

Walt was the second of nine children, and since the family's finances were precarious, he had to start working at age 11. His free spirit shone through in his adolescence, as at 15 he was writing free rhyming verses with complex ideas. At 30, he wrote "Leaves of Grass," his masterpiece, which he continued to revise and modify until his death. It represented a break with traditional poetry, both in content and style. Walt experimented with the possibilities of free verse, using simple, prose-like language while creating a new mythology for the country. His work was highly controversial in its time and was described as obscene for its overt sexuality. A sexuality that still generates controversy today, as he could have been a victim of homophobic censorship. Whitman became a respected literary avant-garde artist who received visits from young artists from around the world. His work always affirmed the importance and uniqueness of all human beings. "Don't stop believing that words and poetry can change the world."