Walt Whitman
Whitman first tried writing in many different popular genres. In 1850, he began writing Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry which he would continue working on until his death. Whitman wanted to write an epic that was clearly American, using free verse. At the end of June 1855, Whitman surprised his brothers with the first copies of Leaves of Grass. His brother George "didn't think it worth reading".