If the reading of an author’s work, allusions, imitations and dedications are an index to popularity, Walt Whitman was one of the most popular among the poets of Latin America. The number of times he is mentioned in their works alone indicates the extent of interest aroused by him and their attitude toward him.
An attempt will not be made to show that Whitman was more popular than Poe or Longfellow, but the writer will endeavor to show the extent to which he was known, imitated and emulated by Spanish American poets.