Walt Whitman (1819–1892) stands among the most influential poets in the American canon, often hailed as the father of free verse. His work is notable for its transcendence of traditional poetic form and its blend of transcendentalism and realism. Whitman's magnum opus, 'Leaves of Grass' (first published in 1855), is a seminal work in American literature, representing an unabashed celebration of th...