Walt Whitman And Free Verse Autobiography

By Christopher West


One of the best examples of an individual whom has written a memoir in a poetic style is that of Walt Whitman. For, Whitman tells his life store in the piece "Songs of Myself, " a Free Verse Autobiography which the author edited and revised many times over during the course of life. While a stand alone piece, the piece was also included in the popular collection, "Leaves of Grass."

Poets such as Anne Sexton, John Lowell, Sylvia Plath and others began writing much darker pieces. Whereas, the Beat Generation gave way to poets such as Jack Kerouac who often wrote about experiences on the road, and Allen Ginsberg whose focus was more on sexual matters and other taboos.

Walt Whitman passed away in 1892, but not before leaving quite a legacy. In fact, the writer continued to edit "Songs of Myself, " well into the mid-1800s. After which, the final version was completed in 1881. Later, the name of the book was changed to "Poem of Walt Whitman, An American, " and became more of a memoir than a poetry book.

A great deal is owed to Walt Whitman as the writer was the first to actually pay for design and typesetting with regards to a poetry book and collection. Whereas, the author was also the first to include the ideology of self-realization and evolution into the poetry genre. In addition, it was Whitman whom first used the portrait on the back or inside cover so that others could become familiar the artist casual and often rebellious attitude.

Generally, those working in free verse will want to share the piece at a poetry festival or reading. Whereas, those whom put more theatrics into a piece may want to enter a local slam as there are often cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place poems.

When attending a open-mic or featured reading, individuals will most likely experience a number of different styles. These can range from free verse and rhyme to sonnets. As such, while rhyme is not as popular as once in the past, those whom can write in a creative and entertaining way can still pull off reading a poem that rhymes.

While there are local readings, there are also International poetry festivals where individuals come from around the world to read and attend workshops. One of the largest is that of the Austin International Poetry Festival which takes place in Austin each April. As such, those interested in learning more about the different styles can often benefit greatly from attending this type festival.

Free verse can often be great when read at poetry readings, though slams often require tougher topics with more theatrical performances. For, slams are quite competitive with 1s, 2nd and 3rd place generally taking home cash prizes. In addition, those whom rate high over the course of a season are often invited to be part of a city slam team at an annual poetry slam conference and festival.




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