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| WALT |
| WHITMAN |
| 1819- |
| 1892 |
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LEAVES OF GRASS
🍃 The Leaves 🍃
A celebration of Walt Whitman, born this day in 1819
🌿 Quotations
The words of Walt Whitman, organized by the themes that mattered to him most.
On the Self
I celebrate myself, and sing myself, / And what I assume you shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes.)
I exist as I am, that is enough.
I am not contained between my hat and boots.
I know I am deathless.
On Democracy
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear.
The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem.
Of Equality—as if it harm'd me, giving others the same chances and rights as myself—as if it were not indispensable to my own rights that others possess the same.
Whoever degrades another degrades me.
I speak the pass-word primeval, I give the sign of democracy.
On the Body
I sing the body electric.
If any thing is sacred the human body is sacred.
The narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery.
Welcome is every organ and attribute of me, and of any man hearty and clean.
I believe in the flesh and the appetites.
On Nature
I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.
Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling.
Now I see the secret of making the best person: it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.
After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, love, and so on—have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear—what remains? Nature remains.
I am enamour'd of growing out-doors.
On Death
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done.
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love, / If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
Nothing can happen more beautiful than death.
And I will show that nothing can happen more beautiful than death.
To die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.
On Love and Comradeship
I have learn'd that to be with those I like is enough.
Camerado, I give you my hand!
Who need be afraid of the merge?
Whoever you are holding me now in hand.
I do not ask who you are, that is not important to me.
On the Journey
Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you. / You must travel it by yourself.
I tramp a perpetual journey.
Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road.
Strong and content I travel the open road.
All parts away for the progress of souls.