Walt Whitman: Father of modern poetry, Part 1 of 2 – Songs of the poet

Walt Whitman in 1891 (© Flickr/Marcelo Noah)

In 1855, a “poetic divo” burst onto the literary stage and changed the course of poetic expression. Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” is considered the beginning of modern poetry. Part One explores his early life, including his Dutch heritage, and the relationship between a love of music and the poet’s emergence.

Producer: David Swatling

Broadcast: October 20, 2000