Facts about Walt Whitman

Learn some quick facts about 

Walt Whitman.  

 

This week’s famous poet is Walt Whitman. Last week’s famous poet was Robert Frost. 

Walt Whitman was a famous poet. He wrote over one hundred and sixty poems. He was born in Huntington, New York. His parents’ names are Walter Whitman and Louisa Van Velsor. He had eight siblings.

Here is a list of some poems by Walt Whitman: 

• A Christmas Greeting
• Going Somewhere
• A Farm Picture
• A Twilight Song
• A Prairie Sunset
• As I Sit Writing Here
• A Child’s Amaze
• Broadway
• Poets To Come
• Tears

Hey parents and caregivers! When sharing poetry with your little ones, ensure the poems are both fun and age-appropriate. Let’s create a joyful reading experience together!

Quick facts about Walt Whitman: 

1. He was born May 31, 1819, in Huntington, New York. 

He died on March 26, 1892, in Camden, New Jersey. He was seventy-two years old. He died from complications from having pneumonia. He is buried at the Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, New Jersey.

2. Walt Whitman began working at the age of eleven to help support his parents, who struggled to provide for their large family. He had to stop attending school to work.

3. The following is one of Walt Whitman’s poems:

TEARS

TEARS! tears! tears!

In the night, in solitude, tears,

On the white shore dripping, dripping, suck'd in by the sand,

Tears, not a star shining, all dark and desolate,

Moist tears from the eyes of a muffled head;

O who is that ghost? that form in the dark, with tears?

What shapeless lump is that, bent, crouch'd there on the sand?

Streaming tears, sobbing tears, throes, choked with wild cries;

O storm, embodied, rising, careering with swift steps along the beach!

O wild and dismal night storm, with wind—O belching and desperate!

O shade so sedate and decorous by day, with calm countenance and regulated pace,

But away at night as you fly, none looking—O then the unloosen'd ocean,

Of tears! tears! tears!

 

(You can print out a worksheet on this poem. You will fill in the missing words in the poem.) 

4. When Walt Whitman was nineteen years old (1838), he started his own newspaper business. The newspaper, called the Long Islander, is still in business today.

5. In 1855, Walt Whitman released the first edition of Leaves of Grass, a book of poems he wrote and published himself. The book contained only twelve of his poems, and only 795 copies were printed. One copy of his poetry book made its way to Ralph Waldo Emerson (Poet).

6. Walt Whitman had eight siblings. Here is a list of their names:

• Jesse Whitman (1818-1870)
• Mary Elizabeth Whitman (1821-1899)
• Hannah Louisa Whitman (1823-1908)
• Andrew Jackson Whitman (1828-1863)
• George Washington Whitman (1829-1901)
• Thomas Jefferson Whitman (1833-1890)
• Edward Whitman (1835-1892)
• Margaret Whitman

7. Walt Whitman never married, and he never had any children.

8. In 1857, Walt Whitman worked as a journalist for the Brooklyn Daily Times. He continued there until 1859.

9. Walt Whitman had a lot of jobs in his lifetime. Here is a list of some of them:

• Teacher
• Voluntary Nurse
• Journalist
• Publisher
• Editor
• Pressman
• Distribution
• Home delivery
• Clerk

Get your printable Walt Whitman worksheet here: 

Click here

 

 

Visit my printables section for a wide selection of worksheets and coloring sheets!

 

Books by Walt Whitman and others: 

1. Poetry for Kids: Walt Whitman by Walt Whitman and Karen Karbiener

2. Nothing But Miracles by Walt Whitman

3. History for Kids: The Life of Walt Whitman by Charles River Editors

 

Parents and caregivers, ensure the books you read to your child or children are suitable for them. 

 

Tune in next week to learn some quick facts about William Shakespeare!

You can grab the Famous Poets Workbook on Amazon. Simply click on the book for more info.

 

“Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling,”—Walt Whitman