Born Wally Walter Whitman on May 31, 1819, in West Hills, Long Island, Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist widely considered one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. He is among the best known and most widely read American poets of all time, and his work was greatly praised by both contemporaries and fellow poets alike for its beauty, its emotional impact, and unique style.
While Whitman spent much of his life living in various locations scattered throughout the United States, he is most notably associated with his birthplace of Long Island, New York. He lived in various locations, including Brooklyn, and Manhattan, throughout his life, with Whitman’s most notable locations in the New York City area being his home in Camden, New Jersey and his home on Long Island.
Whitman’s stay on Long Island also coincided with his transition from journalism to poetry. During this time, he became an editor of the Southold Monitor, a local newspaper in Southold on the eastern tip of the island. Whitman was soon fired from the newspaper after only a few months, and then began working as the managing editor of the Long Islander—a local newspaper in Hunters Point, Long Island. At the paper, Whitman was regarded as a talented writer, and his work was well-received by his colleagues and readers.
In 1855, Whitman self-published his now time-honored collection of poems Leaves of Grass, containing 12 poems including “Song of Myself” and “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking”. .The book of verse included many references to Whitman’s experiences and trips around Long Island, and brought him literary acclaim.
In 1876, Whitman moved to Camden, New Jersey, and remained there for the rest of his life. Despite his move to New Jersey, Whitman often visited Long Island and Brooklyn, staying with friends and family who still lived there. It is believed that he wrote much of his great later works “Good-bye My Fancy” and “Passage to India” while visiting Long Island during the summer of 1889, and then during the final year of his life while living in Camden.
Indeed, Long Island, and particularly his hometown of West Hills, remained the deep connection and point of inspiration for Walt Whitman throughout his life. Even to this day, many of Whitman’s works remain deeply intertwined with this particular part of the United States, and are renowned for their beauty and poignancy.
The Early Life of Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman was born in West Hills, Long Island, New York, on May 31, 1819, to parents Walter and Louisa Whitman. Walter was a carpenter, and Louisa, a schoolteacher. He was the second of nine children, and had four older brothers and four younger sisters.
Whitman was raised in a rural setting, and educated in a one-roomed schoolhouse in nearby Huntington. It was here that he established a love for literature and language. Regardless, he left school at a young age, and would soon be apprenticed with a printer in Brooklyn. After a brief stint in a printing office, Whitman soon started working full-time in the printing trade, and taught himself Latin and some French in the evenings.
At the age of 21, Whitman joined the staff of the Long Island Patriot, and soon moved on to be manage the Long Islander. While working as editor, Whitman contributed much of his own original work to the newspaper as a young and aspiring writer. His first recognized writings date back to this very time period.
The Later Years of Walt Whitman
As Whitman’s fame increased, he was recruited to work for the staff of a Brooklyn-based newspaper, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle—the leading newspaper of Brooklyn at the time. While at the newspaper, Whitman penned some of his most famous poems including “Darest Thou Now O Soul,” and “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”.
In 1855, Whitman published his first edition of Leaves of Grass, which was an immediate success. With the help of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the book of poetry was a success, and Whitman’s literary career was truly underway.
Even as he gained fame, Whitman continued to work for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle as a journalist—most notably as a drama critic in 1861. Besides his busy writing life, Whitman took up a career as a teacher, teaching Latin and grammar in the Brooklyn public schools.
In 1873, Whitman left Brooklyn and moved to the hilly farmhouse area of Camden, New Jersey, where he spent the last two decades of his life. Despite his move, Whitman continued to visit Long Island often, and wrote pieces such as “Good-bye My Fancy” and “Passage to India” while visiting in 1889.
Whitman’s Legacy
Despite leading a tragic and reserved life, Whitman is widely considered one of the most influential American writers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, with works such as Leaves of Grass cementing his importance in the American literary canon.
To this day, Whitman’s works are seen as highly significant, largely because of their innovative use of free verse, and their exploration of topics such as democracy, individuality, nature, and sexuality. His writings on these themes remain relevant and timely, and often take on a timeless quality.
The importance of Whitman in the modern world has given Long Island a special place in literary history. Many writers even today flocked to the region to retrace Whitman’s footsteps, including Allen Ginsberg, who visited the Huntington house at one point.
Walt Whitman’s Long Island
Walt Whitman’s connection with Long Island is strong and integral to his legacy, providing an interesting and sometimes unexpected insight into the mind of an American poet.
While many of Whitman’s most famous works were penned while living away from the island, numerous references to, and allusions to Long Island and its people can still be found in his later work. This connection also extends to his earlier work as well, with many of his great works such as “Song of Myself” having been written while living on Long Island.
Since his death in 1892, Whitman’s influence on Long Island has been undeniable. Many local poets and authors of the region, including Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, have cited Walt Whitman as a major influence in their work.
Walt Whitman’s Culture On Long Island
Today, Walt Whitman remains an integral part of the cultural history of Long Island. A variety of museums, libraries, and monuments have cropped up on the island in keeping with his legacy. Some of these include The Walt Whitman Centennial Celebration in 1949 and the Walt Whitman Sculpture, a massive bronze bust of the poet standing atop granite base and dedicated in 1983.
The Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site in West Hills, Long Island is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the writer and his works. This flagship facility includes a museum, library, and collections of artifacts and documents related to his life and works. In addition, various local libraries and schools have established the Walt Whitman Prize, an annual award given to the best in contemporary Long Island authors and poets.
The Established Home Of Walt Whitman
Although many of his life’s works were penned away from Long Island, it remained a great source of inspiration and happiness for Whitman, and on his return filled him with vitality.
In 1876, Whitman eventually found the perfect balance between his beloved Long Island and the big city when he purchased a house on Mickle Street in Camden, New Jersey. Located right across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the house was within miles of both cities, but still retained the beauty of a rural community.
In his adopted New Jersey home, Whitman went back to Long Island often, visting its beaches to take Sea-Bathers, or dropping in on family in West Hills.
Whitman also kept close to his beloved Long Island in his writing. In the late 1880s, he wrote the epic poem “Passage to India”, which heavily references the natural wonders of his childhood home, including the sea and sun-filled meadows of the island.
Moreover, one of his last major works was the poem “Good-bye My Fancy”, a moving reference to his beloved New York City, just across the Hudson.[46] Whitman’s ultimate legacy, however, lies in Long Island, and its distinct connection to American literature.
Walt Whitman’s Lasting Legacy
Walt Whitman left behind a great legacy as one of America’s most influential and celebrated poets. Much of his work was penned in New York City and Long Island, and is still celebrated to this day for its unique and timeless quality.
Though Whitman sadly passed away in 1892, his work and the cultural imprint he left behind in both New York and Long Island remains strongly alive. Even to this day, various organizations, public spaces, and institutions on the island remain devoted to Whitman’s memory and his works, ensuring that his literary legacy will remain strong in the centuries yet to come.
