Even though Dickinson came from a well-to-do family, the form
and content of her poetry were too cutting-edge for traditional
readers. Whitman, on the other hand, struggled financially and selfpublished
his work, but his free style was unappreciated by most
critics. While neither Dickinson nor Whitman was given due credit
for their work during their lifetimes, both are regarded nowadays
as extremely influential writers who have greatly shaped American
poetry.