Walter Whitman (Walt for short) was an American poet. He was born March 31st, 1819, around Huntington, Long Island. Walt Whitman was born the second son of his family and had eight siblings. Whitman alternated between printing and writing jobs for about 15 years, working also for various newspapers. He then ventured to become a teacher and published several essays during that time. In 1846, he wrote his first and only novel, Franklin Evans. He worked as an editor for the Brooklyn Eagle and was fired from this job for political purposes.