The author Herman Melville and the poet Walt Whitman are icons of American literature,
greatly beloved by generations past and present.
"¢ The author Herman Melville and the poet Walt Whitman are icons
"¢ Herman Melville the author and Walt Whitman the poet are icons
"¢ The author named Herman Melville and the poet named Walt Whitman are great icons
"¢ The author, Herman Melville, and the poet, Walt Whitman, are icons
"¢ Herman Melville, the author, and Walt Whitman, the poet, had been icons

OA after some discussion.