Walt Whitman, ‘the good grey poet’, was born in Huntington, New York, on 31 May 1819. A man of exceptional poetic sensibility, he single-handedly modernised American poetry and provided a lyrical accompaniment to the ideas and ideals of the New World. Controversial, bold and eccentric, his life and works have inspired generations of writers and readers.
Personally, I always get a bit emotional when it comes to Whitman, as it was his collection Leaves of Grass that first made me fall in love with poetry. At the time, I knew very little of his biography, but getting to more about him in subsequent years helped me appreciate his works even more.
Similar to an earlier article on Emily Dickinson, in this post I will present several films and documentaries that will help you get acquainted with Whitman and his poetry. They are all easily accessible online, just follow the links provided throughout the post.
American Experience: Walt Whitman
American Experience is a series of documentaries, many of them award-winning, produced by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). This two-hour episode on Walt Whitman was made by the filmmaker Mark Zwonitzer, featuring contemporary poets and novelists reciting Whitman’s poems and commenting on them. The film brings Whitman alive thanks to a wealth of documentary material that also has a lot to teach on the broader context of the 19th century culture and society.
On the official American Experience website you can find additional and very useful resources on Whitman.
In Search of Walt Whitman
Directed by Andrew D. Kaplan, In Search of Walt Whitman is a two-part educational film. Part 1: The Early Years covers his boyhood in rural New York up until the publication of Leaves of Grass in 1855, while Part 2: The Civil War and Beyond covers the traumatic experience of the Civil War and Whitman’s later years. Both episodes feature many of Whitman’s famous poems, placing them in their proper historical context.
The film is accessible on YouTube and elsewhere, but I recommend the All Arts website, where you can also find the full transcript of the programme.
Voices and Visions: Walt Whitman
If you are searching for video content specifically designed for students, the Voices and Visions series is an excellent resource. Produced in the 1980s by the New York Center for Visual History, the entire series is available on the Annenberg Learner platform. Episode 12 is dedicated to Whitman, and on the website you can find the full transcript, along with other useful resources.
Whitman on Film: A Video Essay
Rather than a documentary or a biopic, this 35-minute video essay is a brief overview of Whitman’s appearances in film and television, from the 1916 silent movie Intolerance to Sarah Wolfley’s 2019 short film Poets to Come. It’s a very convenient resource for those interested in the reception of Whitman’s works and representations of Whitman in popular culture during the past one hundred years. An interactive version of this video essay is also available.
When you’ve had a chance to watch any of these (or any other) Whitman documentaries, do share your thoughts on them in the comments section below!
grammaticus 
It’s always fascinating to see how literature translates onto the big screen. Thanks for shedding light on this aspect of Whitman’s legacy!
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