Walt Whitman was an American poet whose bold, free-flowing collection Leaves of Grass broke away from traditional rhyme and rhythm to celebrate everyday people, nature, and democracy. He self-published the first edition in 1855 and kept revising and expanding it for the rest of his life, releasing nine different editions over nearly four decades. He worked as a nurse caring for wounded soldiers during the American Civil War, an experience that deeply shaped his later poetry. He is remembered today as one of the most influential poets in American history.