Today, Whitman is known as the Great American I, because of his individualistic approach to poetry, as seen in "Song of Myself." After reading this poem, one can conclude Whitman is not interested in conventional thought. His attempt to connect sexuality to the human spirit, in this writer's opinion, is very transcendental. Whitman's controversial views and very evident propensity towards homosexuality, "Twenty-eight young men bathe by the shore, / Twenty-eight young men, and all so friendly, / twenty-eight years of womanly life, and all so lonesome" (lines 193-195), which of course the vast majority of Americans at the time did not want to even think about, is why this writer feels his work also covers the tenants of realism. Whitman's free verse and rhythmic innovations were distinctly in contrast to the rigid rhyming schemes and structural patterns that were considered fundamental to poetic expression of the time. Old Testament poetry and the sacred books of India such as the Bhagavad-Gita, which is a form similar to that of thought-rhyme, definitely had an influence on Whitman. Whitman was also a fan of the Opera in New York City, which also influenced the rhythm, and cadences of his writings. Because of this, many composers have taken Whitman's poetry and set it to music (About the poetry). One has to give Whitman credit, he was not afraid to go against the grain, to explore new and innovative ways of expression.
Of course, any writer who breaks the mold and develops a new and unique writing style, will be the target of positive and negative criticism, and if that writer uses his writing technique to cover scandalous topics like sex and homosexuality, he will undoubtedly be the center of much controversy. When "Leaves of Grass," was first published, it was a commercial failure, but literary critics could not discount Whitman's bold approach to writing. Ralph Waldo Emerson, another American icon, said of Whitman's poetry, "I am not blind to the worth of the wonderful gift of the "leaves of Grass.