ck Papers_.

WHITEHEAD, WILLIAM (1715-1785).--Poet, _s._ of a baker at Camb., and
_ed._ at Winchester School and Camb., became tutor in the family of the
Earl of Jersey, and retained the favour of the family through life. In
1757 he succeeded Colley Cibber as Poet Laureate. He wrote plays of only
moderate quality, including _The Roman Father_ and _Creusa_, tragedies,
and _The School for Lovers_, a comedy; also poems, _The Enthusiast_ and
_Variety_. His official productions as Laureate were severely attacked,
which drew from him in reply _A Charge to the Poets_.

WHITMAN, WALTER or WALT (1819-1892).--Poet, was _b._ at Huntingdon, Long
Island, New York. His mother was of Dutch descent, and the farm on which
he was _b._ had been in the possession of his father's family since the
early settlement. His first education was received at Brooklyn, to which
his _f._ had removed while W. was a young child. At 13 he was in a
printing office, at 17 he was teaching and writing for the newspapers,
and at 21 was editing one. The next dozen years were passed in desultory
work as a printer with occasional literary excursions, but apparently
mainly in "loafing" and observing his fellow-creatures. It was not till
1855 that his first really characteristic work, _Leaves of Grass_,
appeared. This first ed. contained only 12 poems. Notwithstanding its
startling departures from conventionality both in form and substance it
was well received by the leading literary reviews and, with certain
reserves to be expected, it was welcomed by Emerson. It did not, however,
achieve general acceptance, and was received with strong and not
unnatural protest in many quarters. When a later ed. was called for
Emerson unsuccessfully endeavoured to persuade the author to suppress the
more objectionable parts. On the outbreak of the Civil War W. volunteered
as a nurse for the wounded, and rendered much useful service. The results
of his experiences and observations were given in verse in _Drum Taps_
and _The Wound Dresser_, and in prose in _Specimen Days_. From these
scenes he was removed by his appointment to a Government clerkship, from
which, however, he was soon dismissed on the ground of having written
books of an immoral tendency. This action of the authorities led to a
somewhat warm controversy, and after a short interval W. received another
Government appointment, which he held until 1873, when he had a paralytic
seizure, which rendered his retirement