A literary heroWhat makes a poet spectacular? Some say that a poet needs good training. Well, in this poet's case, it's almost the exact opposite. Walt Whitman was a lightly trained poet, he was enrolled in school until the age of 11 and from then on he became self-taught. It is said that “at a very young age, he fell in love with the written word and his fans fell in love with his work” (Mark Heftier). Whitman is an inspiration to many; he proved that greatness comes in many ways, shapes and forms. Whitman was born May 31, 1819, in West Hills, Long Island; in a working-class family. He was the second of nine children. In his very young years, he grew up in New York. At that time, it was still growing into a big city. Whitman had many jobs, he worked as a journalist, teacher, government clerk and, in addition to publishing his poetry, he served as a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War. Later in Whitman's life, he returned to New York and became ...