Walt Whitman
Copyright 2004. Pat @ Close. All Rights Reserved.
05/31/1819 Walt Whitman born in Long Island, New York.

1823 Whitman's father moves family to Brooklyn.

1831 begins job as Printing apprentice for the Brooklyn Patriot.

1836 Moves back to Long Island to teach

1841 Moves to New York City; works for the New World, Aurora, and The Evening Tattler.

1842 publishes first short stories: Death in the School Room and Franklin Evans

1845 Moves back to Brooklyn to write for The Brooklyn Eagle

1848 Moves to New Orleans with brother Jeff; works for the New Orleans Crescent

1854 Send pre-published of Leaves of Grass to friend R.W. Emerson. Emerson is impressed, claims poetry is the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed and sends letter of praise in return; Whitman includes letter in his second edition of Leaves of Grass.

1855 Self publishes the first edition of Leaves of Grass ( contains 12 poems).

1856 Second edition of Leaves of Grass is published (contains 33 poems).

1860 Third edition of Leaves of Grass is published.

1861 Upon hearing his brother George was wounded in the Civil War, Whitman travels to Virginia

1865 Works for Bureau of Indian Affairs, but is fired when a revised edition of Leaves of Grass is discovered by James Harlan and deemed “indecent.” he is re-hired by Attorney General's Office.

1865 Drum Taps is published (based on Civil War experiences)

1867 Fourth edition of Leaves of Grass is published (included within is the first part of Democratic Vistas)

1868 Poems of Walt Whitman first published in England by William Rosetti.

1870 Fifth edition of Leaves of Grass is published (included within is the complete version of Democratic Vistas as well as Passage to India)

1873 Whitman suffers a severe stroke.

1876 Whitman publishes sixth edition of Leaves of Grass

Approx 1877 Medically improving, Whitman embarks on lecture circuit.

1881 Publishes seventh edition of Leaves of Grass

1882 Publishes Specimen Days and Collect

1883 Moves to Mickle Street in Camden, New Jersey.

1888 Publishes eighth edition of Leaves of Grass (includes November Boughs)

1888 suffers a second, more severe stroke.

1891 Publishes ninth and final edition (dubbed The Deathbed Edition) of Leaves of Grass (includes Good-Bye My Fancy)

03/26/1892 Walt Whitman dies in Camden, New Jersey.

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