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Walking Indicative of Character

About This Item

  • Title: Walking Indicative of Character
  • Date: 9 January 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.00755
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 9 January 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Luke Jameson Mattingly Kaylen Michaelis Samantha Gilmore Kevin McMullen Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Walking Indicative of Character." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 16 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.00755.xml (TEI)
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WALKING INDICATIVE OF CHARACTER.—

Fowler says:1 A short and quick step indicates a brisk and active, but rather contracted mind, whereas those who take long steps generally have long heads. Those who sluf or draw their heels, drag and drawl in everything; while those who walk with a springing, bounding step, abound in mental snap and spring. Those whose walk is mincing, affected and artificial, rarely, if every, accomplish much; whereas, those who walk carelessly, that is, naturally, are just what they appear to be, and put on nothing for outside show. Those who in walking, roll from side to side, lack directness of character, and side every way, according to circumstances. In short, every individual has his own peculiar mode of moving; which exactly accords with his mental character; so that, so far as you can see such modes, you can decipher such outline of character.

Notes:

1. Lorenzo Niles Fowler (1811–1896) and his brother-in-law Samuel R. Wells (1809–1887) were practitioners of phrenology, a pseudoscience popular in the nineteenth century. They owned and operated the Phrenological Depot on Broadway, which contained phrenological materials and books and offered phrenological readings. They also operated a printing business and were responsible for printing the expanded second edition of Leaves of Grass (1856). In addition, they published Life Illustrated, The American Phrenological Journal, and The Water Cure Journal. Whitman contributed to both Life Illustrated and The Phrenological Journal. [back]

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