10 of the Best Walt Whitman Poems
Walt Whitman is considered to be one of the most popular and influential poets of all time. Here is a look at some of his best poetic works.
1861
‘1861’ by Walt Whitman is a moving Civil War poem written from the perspective of a soldier. He details the difficulty of a particular year.
A Clear Midnight
‘A Clear Midnight’ by Walt Whitman is a simple, yet impactful poem that depicts a speaker’s desire to free his soul from the confines of day to day life.
A Woman Waits for Me
Formerly known as ‘Poem of Procreation,’ Whitman’s ‘A Woman Waits for Me’ is all about the power of regeneration, procreation, and creativity.
An Army Corps on the March
Whitman’s ‘An Army Corps on the March’ is a moving depiction of soldiers marching forward tirelessly during the Civil War. No matter how exhausted they were, they had a goal to fulfill and a dream to achieve!
Beat! Beat! Drums!
The commentary that Whitman provides in ‘Beat! Beat! Drums!’, in regard to the American Civil war, is that it’s all-encompassing and negative.
Broadway
‘Broadway’ by Walt Whitman is a short, effective poem that speaks to the nature of contemporary life. It focuses in on one street in New York City.
Come Up from the Fields Father
‘Come Up from the Fields Father’ by Walt Whitman is a moving war-time poem. Through its lines, the poet addresses the effect of a son’s death on his family.
I Saw in Louisiana A Live-Oak Growing
‘I Saw in Louisiana A Live-Oak Growing’ by Walt Whitman describes a solitary oak tree that is thriving without companionship or support.
I Sing the Body Electric
‘I Sing the Body Electric’ by Walt Whitman is one of the poet’s well-known and celebrated early poems. It was published in 1855, in the first edition of Leaves of Grass.
Long, too long America
‘Long, too long America’ is a poem written by the great American poet Walt Whitman. It is one of the early Civil War poems written by Whitman.
Me Imperturbe
‘Me Imperturbe’ by Walt Whitman describes a speaker’s dedication to maintaining his mental and emotional state in the face of varying challenges.
O Captain! My Captain!
Saddened by the results of the American civil war, Walt Whitman wrote the elegy, ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ in memory of deceased American President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. The civil war occurred during his lifetime with Whitman a staunch supporter of unionists.
O Me! O Life!
‘O Me! O Life!’ by Walt Whitman is a poem where being capable of boosting the quality of “life” is presented through juxtaposed ideas.
On the Beach at Night Alone
‘On the Beach at Night Alone’ by Walt Whitman is a powerful poem. In it, Whitman discusses how everything that has ever existed or will ever exist is connected.
One’s-Self I Sing
‘One’s-Self I Sing’ by Walt Whitman is a short poem that explores a few of the themes Whitman is going to use in Inscriptions. The poem celebrates the beauty and wonder of the common and separate identities of humanity.
Passage to India
‘Passage to India’ by Walt Whitman describes an imaginary journey that a speaker wants to take into fabled India.