American Poet Walt Whitman had this to say about the USA, “The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people.” In the early 1800’s the United States and the common people that made the country so genius was a long ways away from being what it is now. Present day America is a well-blended mix of races, religions, opinion, and sexual orientations, early nineteenth century America was dealing with war, immigration, slavery and expansion. Such change inspired powerful poetry, and American poet Walt Whitman set out to unify our young nation with Song of Myself by demonstrating that we can and should see a little bit of ourselves in everyone, and that if we look deep down inside ourselves we will see that we are not so different after all, that we as a whole come together to make America unique or rather genius. Born in New York 1819, Walt Whitman was one of nine children and quit formal school at a young age in order to contribute to the family’s income. In addition to poetry Whitman held down jobs a print boy and journalist in his early life. Inspired by Ralph Waldo Emmerson, who was an …show more content…
Walt celebrates the rapid change and beckons any and all new people with open arms, Treating America as an all-inclusive family that cares not for your race, gender or social class. With sympathy for slaves, understanding for prostitutes, and acceptance for homosexuals Whitman’s unorthodox thinking takes you on a poetic ride to hopefully bring the reader to a place of acceptance for American’s of every shape and