Walt Whitman Life in New York City

Whitman found work as a freelance typesetter and as a journalist. The latter profession excited him immeasurably. "How it made my heart double-beat to see my piece on the pretty white paper, in nice type," Whitman wasn't just observing life for his own personal amusement, or even for his journalistic pursuits. Whitman had started writing poetry, and the sounds, sights, and smells he encountered on his walks were all being employed in a new style of poetry.