Was Whitman "officially" a Transcendentalist? That's a hot debate in some circles, believe it or not. But we're including him in the list of the Top 5 for a whole load of reasons. First of all, he was deeply influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In fact, in the preface to the 1855 edition of his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, he states that he's the poet that Emerson had been waiting for.

Arrogant, much? Nah, it all worked out—in turn, Emerson was a huge fan of Walt Whitman.

Plus, we'll find a lot of the big Transcendental themes in Whitman's poetry. Whitman is all about nature. He's big on individualism. And he's also big on spirituality. His poetry, and his worldview, tick a lot of Transcendentalist boxes. No wonder Emerson was so down with it.

"Song of Myself"

One of Whitman's most famous poems, this work exemplifies a lot of Transcendentalist themes. First close-reading clue? "Myself" is in the title of the poem, which hints to us the fact that individualism, and the individual spirit, is a big theme in the work. Heck, it's even worth singing about.

But the poem is also about how we're all connected to one another, and to nature. In other words, it's also a poem about connection and correspondence. We should be true to ourselves, but we should also always be aware of the bonds that bind us—to each other, to nature, to God.

Leaves of Grass

When Ralph Waldo Emerson first read Leaves of Grass in 1855, he wrote to Whitman the following words: "I find it the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed." Pretty big praise, coming from the Head Honcho of Transcendentalism himself.

Leaves of Grass, Whitman's magnum opus, which he kept revising throughout his life, is a poetry collection that encompasses a lot. At the heart of the book, as we might guess by the title, is an emphasis on nature. Nature, in case it had slipped your mind, is one of the favorite themes of the Transcendentalists.

Chew on This

Whitman's "Song of Myself" is a celebration of individualism. It's got plenty to say about identity in general, too

Whitman had grand ambitions for his poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, when it was first published in 1855. He thought it could sow the seeds of unity in his racism-torn land with the "expansiveness of his voice." Pretty high hopes, Walter.