Leaves of Grass (1867)
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| UNFOLDED out of the folds of the woman, man comes
unfolded, and is always to come unfolded; |
| Unfolded only out of the superbest woman of the
earth, is to come the superbest man of the earth; |
| Unfolded out of the friendliest woman, is to come the
friendliest man; |
| Unfolded only out of the perfect body of a woman,
can a man be form'd of perfect body; |
| Unfolded only out of the inimitable poem of the wo-
man, can come the poems of man—(only thence have my poems come;) |
| Unfolded out of the strong and arrogant woman I
love, only thence can appear the strong and arrogant man I love; |
| Unfolded by brawny embraces from the well-muscled
woman I love, only thence come the brawny embraces of the man; |
| Unfolded out of the folds of the woman's brain, come
all the folds of the man's brain, duly obedient; |
)
|
| Unfolded out of the justice of the woman, all justice
is unfolded; |
| Unfolded out of the sympathy of the woman is all
sympathy: |
| A man is a great thing upon the earth, and through
eternity—but every jot of the greatness of man is unfolded out of woman, |
| First the man is shaped in the woman, he can then be
shaped in himself. |