Walt Whitman's poetry is known for being an appeal to the common men and women in America, he speaks for and to Americans of all origins and social standing. This is shown in the title of his most collection of poems, “Leaves of Grass”, where the leaves of grass could be seen as a metaphor for all of us, common men and women. His use of free verse appears uncomplicated at first, as it seems to be plain and easily understandable to anyone, and not constrained by the rigid structures of classical poetry. Whitman is, in a way, using free verse to break free of tradition and strive towards a new, purely American language.
