Walt Whitman and Washington D.C.

Walt Whitman went to Washington, D.C. in 1863 in search of his brother, a Union officer who had been injured in battle. He remained in the nation’s capital for the next decade, working as a clerk and composing some of his most memorable poetry. Kenneth Price examined the impact the city had on Whitman’s writing and his outlook on a nation amid a tumultuous transition. His book is titled Whitman in Washington: Becoming the National Poet in the Federal City. He was joined by Caterina Bernardini, contributing editor at the Walt Whitman Archive. The National Archives Foundation provided the video for this program. close