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a makes raises but bubble of the sea-ooze in comparison with against that unspeakable Something in my

—I look back upon that time in my own days.— I have no gibes nor mocks mockings or laughter;—I have only

the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass, which was ultimately titled "Song of Myself": "Backward I see in my

Draft lines on the back of this manuscript leaf relate to the poem eventually titled "Who Learns My Lesson

Song of Myself": "Echos, ripples, and buzzed whispers . . . . loveroot, silkthread, crotch and vine, / My

respiration and inspiration . . . . the beating of my heart . . . . the passing of blood and air through

my lungs, / The sniff of green leaves and dry leaves, and of the shore and darkcolored sea- rocks, and

.; Draft lines on the back of this manuscript leaf relate to the poem eventually titled "Who Learns My

am myself and nobody else, am the greatest traitor, I went myself first to the headland, — my own hands

I have lost my wits . . . .

I and nobody else am the greatest traitor, / I went myself first to the headland . . . . my own hands

sings as well as I, because although she reads no newspaper; never learned the gamut; And to shake my

The first lines of the notebook poem were revised and published as "My Picture-Gallery" in The American

and the breast that ha fed his young , and so buys a nomination to great office; i I nforme d against my

brother and sister and got t ook aking pay for their blood, hearts; l L aughed when I looked from my

iron necklace, after the steamboat that carried away my woman.— Whitman probably drafted this manuscript

how he does defile me, / How he informs against my brother and sister and takes pay for their blood,

/ How he laughs when I look down the bend after the steamboat that carries away my woman" (1855, p. 74

three winters to be articulate child Whitman revised this poetic fragment and used it in "Who Learns My

Whitman revised this poetic fragment and used it in "Who Learns My Lesson Complete?

appeared in the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass, in a poem that would eventually be entitled "Who Learns My

: "I know it is wonderful . . . . but my eyesight is equally wonderful . . . . and how I was conceived

in my mother's womb is equally wonderful, / And how I was not palpable once but am now . . . . and was

But when a voice in my our hearing excuses this Fugitive damned Act, because it binds no leg and breaks

bribed to swap off with touch, and go and graze at the edges of me, / No consideration, no regard for my

draining strength or my anger" (1855, p. 33).; 22; Transcribed from digital images of the original.;

not smell— —I smell the your beautiful white roses— I kiss their soft your leafy lips—I reach slide my

Can my your sight behold them as with oysters eyes?

See in particular the lines: "The supernatural of no account . . . . myself waiting my time to be one

with me about God; I can yet just begin to comprehend nothing more wonderful than so tremendous as my

duk.00277xxx.00084MS q 29Drops of my Bloodabout 1860poetry1 leafhandwritten; A manuscript that contains

a backing sheet, together with And there, 'The Scout', and In a poem make the.; duk.00890 Drops of my

The Elder Brother of the soul—my soul.

Grass, ultimately titled "Song of Myself": "And I know that the spirit of God is the eldest brother of my

head at nightfall, and he is fain to say, "I too am not a bit tamed—I too am untranslatable; I sound my

this manuscript may connect to the stanza of the poem eventually titled "Song of Myself" that begins "My

do not procreate like men; all of them and all existing creeds grows not so much of God as I grow in my

moustache, And I am myself waiting my time to be a God; I think I h shall do as much good and be as

pure and prodigious, and do as much good as any; — And when my do, I am, do you suppose it will please

wriggles through the world mankind and hides under helmets and it is not beloved never loved or believed.— My

See in particular the lines: "The supernatural of no account . . . . myself waiting my time to be one

.— I rate myself high—I receive no small sums; I must have my full price—whoever enjoys me.

I feel satisfied my visit will be worthy of me and of my Hosts and Favorites; I leave it to them how

appeared in two of the poems in that edition, eventually titled "A Song for Occupations" and "Who Learns My

appeared in two of the poems in that edition, eventually titled "A Song for Occupations" and "Who Learns My

in the eleventh poem of the first (1855) edition of Leaves of Grass, ultimately titled "Who Learns My

I will have my own whoever enjoys me, / I will be even with you, and you shall be even with me" (1855

drink, / But as soon as you sleep and renew yourself in sweet clothes I will certainly kiss you with my

.— wood-duck on my distan le around. purposes, nd white playing within me the tufted crown intentional

/ It seems to me more than all the print I have read in my life. / My tread scares the wood-drake and

wood-duck on my distant and daylong ramble, / They rise together, they slowly circle around. / . . .

when I visited the Asylum and they showed me their most smeared and slobbering idiot, Yet I knew for my

for my consolation, of the great laws that emptied and broke my my brother s Whitman probably drafted

eventually titled "Song of Myself": "The boatmen and clamdiggers arose early and stopped for me, / I tucked my

trowser-ends in my boots and went and had a good time."

and wicked" may relate to the following line, which occurs later in the same poem: "Ever myself and my

eventually titled "Song of Myself": "The boatmen and clamdiggers arose early and stopped for me, / I tucked my

trowser-ends in my boots and went and had a good time."

and wicked" may relate to the following line, which occurs later in the same poem: "Ever myself and my

trowser-ends in my boots and went and had a good time" (1855, p. 18).

and wicked" may relate to the following line, which occurs later in the same poem: "Ever myself and my

—I lend you my own mouth tongue A black I dart ed like a snake from his mouth.— I My eyes are bloodshot

, they look down the river, A steamboat carries off paddles away my woman and children.— Around my neck

am T The His i ron necklace and the red sores of my shoulders I do not feel mind , h H opples and ball

ankles and tight cuffs at the wrists does must not detain me will go down the river, with the sight of my

bloodshot eyes, go in to the steamboat that paddles off wife woman and child A I do not stop with my

. / How he laughs when I look down the bend after the steamboat that carries away my woman"(1855, p.

The retrospective extasy ecstasy is upon me— I am now my soul —spirit burns volcanic The earth recedes

ashamed before my prophetical crisis.— Whitman probably drafted this manuscript in the early 1850s as

similar to the following line in the poem eventually titled "Song of Myself": "The dirt receding before my

19 I am become the poet of babes and the little things I descend many steps—I go backward primeval My

equanimous arms feet 209 I surround retrace things steps oceanic—I pass to around not merely my own

. / My feet strike an apex of the apices of the stairs, / On every step bunches of ages, and larger bunches

am that foolish half grown angry boy, fallen asleep, The tears of foolish passion yet undried upon my

The Great Laws do not" also includes draft lines that appeared in the poem later titled "Who Learns My

I entertain all the aches of the human heart Outside the asteroids I reconnoitre at my ease.

Compare these lines from that edition: "I lean and loafe at my ease . . . . observing a spear of summer

Bibles i are divine revelations of God But I know say that any each leaf of grass and every hair of my

compiled composed is not august enough to dent endow answer tally a leaf of grass the partition of in my

. / I intend to reach them my hand and make as much of them as I do of men and women" (1855, p. 64).;

night walkers And do no better for me— Who am a regular gentlemen or lady, With a marble broad stoop to my

And is the day here when I vote at the polls, One with the immigrant that last August strewed lime in my

.— what my touch wanted any thing whatever I wanted.— Surely I am out of my head!

I am lost to myself and someth something else Nature in another form has laid down in my place.

though I lie so sleepy and sluggish, my tap is death" (1855, p. 74).

man who claims or takes the power to own another man as his property, stabs me in that the heart of my

own The one scratches me a little on the cheek forehead , the other draws his murderous razor through my

t T hat black and huge lethargic mass, my sportsmen, dull and sleepy as it seems, has holds the lightning

eventually titled "Song of Myself": "Buying drafts of Osiris and Isis and Belus and Brahma and Adonai, / In my

These words are for the five or six grand poets, too; and the masters of artists: — I waste no ink, nor my

receive you, and attach and clasp hands with you, / The facts are useful and real . . . . they are not my

pass death with the dying, and birth with the new-washed babe . . . . and am not contained between my

Have I hasten to inform you it is just as good to die, and I know it; I know it For I take my death with

the dying, And my birth with the new-washed babe Whitman probably drafted this manuscript in the early

pass death with the dying, and birth with the new-washed babe . . . . and am not contained between my

In the 1888 November Boughs, however, Whitman reprinted the 1867 version as Small the Theme of my Chant

manuscript draft may have been written before the Civil War, since it does not include the 1867 line "My

Henceforth After this day, A touch shall henceforth be small Little things is shall be are henceforth my

my tongue proof and argument It They shall tell s for me that people In them, the smallest least of

over all, and what we thought death is but life brought to a finer parturition.— An inch's contact My

The clearest relation is to the line: "A minute and a drop of me settle my brain" (1855, p. 33), but

my best as for a purpose, Unbuttoning my clothes and holding me by the bare waist, Deluding my confusion

My Soul!

We closed with him . . . . the yards entangled . . . . the cannon touched, My captain lashed fast with

I laughed content when I heard the voice of my little captain, We have not struck, he composedly cried

Come my children, Come my boys and girls, and my women and household and intimates, Now the performer

And I stood before the young man face to face, and took his right hand in my left hand and his left hand

in my right hand, And I answered for his brother and for men . . . . and I answered for the poet, and

to the President at his levee, And he says Good day my brother, to Cudge that hoes in the sugarfield;

Then the mechanics take him for a mechanic, And the soldiers suppose him to be a captain . . . . and

COME closer to me, Push close my lovers and take the best I possess, Yield closer and closer and give

I will have my own whoever enjoys me, I will be even with you, and you shall be even with me.

become so for your sake; If you remember your foolish and outlawed deeds, do you think I cannot remember my

am this day just as much in love with them as you, But I am eternally in love with you and with all my

friendly companions, I intend to reach them my hand and make as much of them as I do of men and women

my best as for a purpose, Unbuttoning my clothes and holding me by the bare waist, Deluding my confusion

My Soul!

We closed with him . . . . the yards entangled . . . . the cannon touched, My captain lashed fast with

I laughed content when I heard the voice of my little captain, We have not struck, he composedly cried

Come my children, Come my boys and girls, and my women and household and intimates, Now the performer

Leaves of Grass, "I Wander All Night in My Vision," Leaves of Grass.

My hands are spread forth . . 

I descend my western course . . . . my sinews are flaccid, Perfume and youth course through me, and I

darn my grandson's stockings.

though I lie so sleepy and sluggish, my tap is death.

Features of my equals, would you trick me with your creased and cadaverous march?

I saw the face of the most smeared and slobbering idiot they had at the asylum, And I knew for my consolation

what they knew not; I knew of the agents that emptied and broke my brother, The same wait to clear the

Come nigh to me limber-hip'd man and give me your finger and thumb, Stand at my side till I lean as high

Fill me with albescent honey . . . . bend down to me, Rub to me with your chafing beard . . rub to my

curious breathing laughing flesh is enough, To pass among them . . to touch any one . . . . to rest my

As I see my soul reflected in nature . . . . as I see through a mist one with inexpress- ible inexpressible

How perfect is my soul! How perfect the earth, and the minutest thing upon it!

O my soul! if I realize you I have satisfaction, Animals and vegetables!

I cannot define my satisfaction . . yet it is so, I cannot define my life . . yet it is so.

Leaves of Grass, "Who Learns My Lesson Complete?" WHO learns my lesson complete?

as every one is immortal, I know it is wonderful . . . . but my eyesight is equally wonderful . . . .

and how I was conceived in my mother's womb is equally wonderful, And how I was not palpable once but

thirty-six years old in 1855 . . . . and that I am here anyhow—are all equally wonderful; And that my

I sound triumphal drums for the dead—I fling thro' my embouchures the loudest and gayest music for them

lines 40 letters 1120 1120 letters in page of Skakspere Shakespeare 's poems 1600 letters in one of my

sauntering the pavement, 9 great are the myths, I wander all night 10 Come closer to me Who learns my

The first several lines of the poem were published in 1880 as "My Picture-Gallery.

.— I assume this day, the whole debt of all I take my place by right among the sudorous or sweaty men

a handsomer man with be has better finer health and cleaner shaped limbs than I, who do business in my