Leaves of Grass

-Self

sing, a simple

ord Democratic, t

gy from top t

nor brain alone is wor

m complete is

qually with th

se in passion,

est action form'd u

dern Man

der'd in

nder'd in

y poems, consideri

before me with d

n beauty, ag

s of poets

recting like

ointing to many

oice, What singe

re is but one theme fo

theme of War, the

g of perfec

o, then I

o sing war, and a longer

ith varying fortune,

t, victory defer

in, or as good as cer

ield th

, for the Body and f

me, chanting the

l promote br

n'd Shi

in'd shi

blue on every

nd music of the waves, t

bark buoy'd on

ll of faith, spre

mid the sparkle and th

y a star

d haply will I, a reminis

l rappor

thoughts, voy

m land, alone appears, m

e, we feel the undulatin

ulsation, ebb and fl

mystery, the vague and

d, the liquid-fl

creaking of the cordage

and the horizon far

s is ocea

ot O book, fulf

miniscence of

ark cleaving the ethe

r, yet ever

ery ship that s

lded my love, (dear mar

re in ev

ead your white sails my

mperiou

ar o'er the boundless b

mariners and a

reign

for something to prove

America, her ath

y poems that you behold

His

celebrat

e outward, the surface

has exhib

man as the creature of

lers and

leghanies, treating of

his own

f the life that has se

at pride of ma

nality, outlining

the history

ee Ol

hee ol

ss, passionat

, remorseles

oughout the age

ge sad war, gre

ough time was really f

ly fought,

r thee, the etern

ldiers not fo

ently waiting behind, now

rb of ma

ple! thou well-kept, l

dea of thee th

ngry and vehemen

s to come for thric

for thee,-my book

t I and mine, as the

axis turns, this boo

the ide

do

I met

hues and objec

art and learning

o glean

in thy chan

g hour nor day, nor s

rest as light for all a

hat of e

r the dim

th, the roundin

the merge at last, (

idolons!

ver the

changing, crumbl

liers, the fac

ssuing e

Lo, I

n, or state, k

id wealth, stren

really buil

e ostent

n artist's mood or s

s, martyr's,

fashion hi

every hu

posted, not a thought,

large or small

In its

he old,

nt pinnacles, lo, ne

and the modern

old, old ur

present n

sy, teeming, i

segregate for onl

o-day's

ese with

of all the reigns of

old campaigns, old

oining e

ities, grow

tains, soils, ro

-dying, living

dolons ev

lte, rapt,

e but their

cies to shape and

mighty ea

l space,

terrible perturb

, ending, serving thei

'd with eid

e noisele

oceans where th

ntless free identi

rue realitie

ot this

universes, the

, ever the perman

idolons,

hy lectures lea

spectroscope observer ke

ery, anatomy, beyond the c

ities of entit

nfix'd y

be, ever have

present to the

ons, eidolon

prophet a

in themselves, in

Modern, to Democracy,

od and e

nd thee

less exercise

ply fed at last,

y mates,

hy body

rking there w

of the form thou ar

image, a

ry songs not

rains to sing,

resulting, rising a

und full-or

Him

him

he present

ee out of its roots, th

e I him dilate and f

lf by them the

Read

he book, the bi

aid I) what the autho

ne when I am dead an

n really knew a

ten think know little or

few diffused faint c

y own use to t

ing My

ies the first step

iousness, these forms

or animal, the sens

say awed me and p

e and hardly wish'd

all the time to sing

inn

for upon the earth, (a

dreadful they a

hemselves as much as

pears th

pond to them, ye

hing relentless in t

ose the objects of the

xorable price must sti

reat pu

he S

one of them, or any cit

ch, obey

ing obedience, on

, no nation, state, c

ard resumes

s Through

through the St

he world, urged

orth to every la

of all, teachers of

seasons dispensing the

should not a man or w

ns, and eff

hile in every

ada, the North-east,

ppi, and the S

ual terms with ea

urselves and invite

Remember, fear not, b

dy and t

s on, be copious, tempe

e may then return as

just as much

rtain C

take t

it for some hero,

ve the good old caus

s and freedom

onter of despots,

as reserving belongs to y

mper

e, standing at

ss of all, aplomb in the

passive, recepti

n, poverty, notoriety,

rtant than

n sea, or in the Manna

far north

an of the woods or of

f the coast, or t

lived, O to be self-bal

orms, hunger, ridicule,

trees and

ant

see each result and gl

g close, alwa

onths, years-thith

hments, even t

e, speech, utensils, po

ith my leaves and song

ather going takes his

hip S

e unboun

starting, spreading a

her mo

g aloft as she speeds

mulous waves

hip with shining curv

America

singing, the vari

h one singing his as it s

ing his as he measur

as he makes ready for

what belongs to him in

g on the ste

as he sits on his benc

he s

ng, the ploughboy's on

on intermissio

g of the mother, or of

he girl sewin

belongs to him or

gs to the day-at nig

ows, robus

n mouths their str

ace Is

eged, and vainly tri

place a commander, sw

se and foot, and p

n, the deadliest t

ugh the O

ough the o

dictions made,) I ded

volt, (O latent rig

less, indisp

ot You

r doors to me

lacking on all your w

ded most,

war emerging, a

ok nothing, the drif

link'd with the rest no

d latencies will t

s to

orators, singers,

justify me and an

, native, athletic, co

before

or you must

one or two indicative

t only to wheel and hur

tering along without f

upon you and the

o you to prove

the main thi

Y

ssing meet me and des

d you not s

ould I not s

u R

est life and pride a

r thee the fol