Walt Whitman (1819–1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. His work is work is considered humanist, and he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism. Because of this, both styles are evident in his work. Considered one of the most influential American poets, he is know as the father of Free verse. His major work Leaves of Grass—published in 1855—was considered very controversial in its time because of the overt sexual nature of the piece. His work is considered to have broken the boundaries of conventional poetry, and is generally more prose-like than rhyme. He is also know to have used unusual symbolism and wrote openly about death and sexuality. He suffered a paralytic stroke in 1873 and died twenty years later in 1892.
