Whitman moved to New York City in May, initially working a low-level job at the "New World", working under Park Benjamin Sr. and Rufus Wilmot Griswold. He continued working for short periods of time for various newspapers; in 1842 he was editor of the "Aurora" and from 1846 to 1848 he was editor of the "Brooklyn Eagle". While working for the latter institution, many of his publications were in the area of music criticism, and it is during this time that he became a devoted lover of Italian opera through reviewing performances of works by Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi. This new interest had an impact on his writing in free verse. He later said, "But for the opera, I could never have written "Leaves of Grass"".