Using Poetry to Reflect Upon the Civil War – Part 3: Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) is known as “America’s Poet,” and for good reason. His poetry captured the spirit of a country that was growing, expanding, tearing down, and building up, while still carrying the weight of its past. 

Whitman may also be known as the poet of America’s Civil War. He wrote some 71 poems about the conflict, both during the war and after. Many of these poems were incorporated into various editions of Leaves of Grass. The first edition of Leaves of Grass was comprised of 12 poems and published in 1855. He kept revising, edited, and adding until the final edition had more than 400 poems, including many of the ones he wrote about the Civil War.

To continue reading, please see my post today at Tweetspeak Poetry.