“This is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless, Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done,Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou lovest best. Night, sleep, and the stars.”

American poet, essayist, and journalist, 19th century

Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. He lived in the 19th century and is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American and world poetry. He wrote two novels as well as poetry and prose, and his work blends transcendentalism with realism. He is often called the father of free verse. Much of the attention around him came from the controversy over Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, which some readers condemned as obscene for its open sensuality.