Living during one of the most dynamic, divisive periods in American history, Walt Whitman captured the development of the nation and himself in his masterpiece, Leaves of Grass. The collection of poems, written over thirty-seven years, is at once art and documentary, revealing both personal and universal truths. Innovative in both form and substance, Leaves of Grass offers a positive yet realistic way of perceiving the world by showing the daily miracle of life.
Age of development and dissent. The 1850s in America was a period of reform and rapid change. Cities grew and construction boomed as record numbers of immigrants-250,000 annually- flooded the developing nation. Westward expansion, fueled by the gold rush of 1848-49 and the development of an ever-growing railroad network, seemed to indicate a boundless America, full of prosperity and promise. The publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species in 1859 further promoted the concepts of evolution and eternal progress. Darwin's groundbreaking work seemed to back the assertion that American democracy would prevail and technology would continue to improve civilization. Very much a product of his time, Walt Whitman was a firm believer in eternal progress and man's capacity to reform society.
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