Walt Whitman 1819 - 1892 was born in a country village in New York State. From a relatively simple background he became one of the most influential poets of the 19th century in the US. He closely identified with nature and with what he saw as the essentials of human relations and he storve to reflect this in his poetry. This film by Malcolm Hossick traces the path of his life and is followed by a brief Overview of his work.