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Leaves of Grass 14

Part of the cluster LEAVES OF GRASS.

14.

UNFOLDED out of the folds of the woman, man comes  
 unfolded, as 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 formed of perfect body,
Unfolded only out of the inimitable poem of the  
 woman, 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.

Part of the cluster LEAVES OF GRASS.

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