American Bards

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Walt Whitman's role as the quintessential American bard is explored alongside three contemporaries who shared similar outsider perspectives. Edward Whitley highlights James M. Whitfield, an African American abolitionist; Eliza R. Snow, a pioneering Mormon leader; and John Rollin Ridge, a Cherokee journalist advocating for Native rights. Each figure, like Whitman, navigated their unique cultural backgrounds and challenges, contributing to a broader understanding of American identity and the complexities of their time.