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Softly I lay my right hand upon you—you just feel it, I do not argue—I bend my head close, and half-
—What seek you do you want among my haughty and jealous democracies of the north?
woman, or my flesh and blood.
—There are my officers and my courts.—At the Capitol is my Legislature.
—It is foreign to my usages, as to my eyes and ears.—Go back to the power that sent you.
free cities, or my teeming country towns, or along my rivers, or sea shore.— 19 But why do I babble
Me, ruthless and devilish as any, that my wrists are not chained with iron, or my ankles with iron?
New York April 30th 18 60 Walt, I was very glad indeed to hear from you in answer to my last, and you
to find your business was progressing so favorably, — In accordance with not only your wishes, but my
more foolish than the rest of the volume:— "I too am not a bit tamed—I too am untranslatable, I sound my
The last scud of day holds back for me, It flings my likeness, after the rest, and true as any, on the
I depart as air—I shake my white locks at the run-away sun, I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it
Monday May 14, '60 My dear Walt : I spent much time yesterday reading your poems, and am more charmed
I want to do great things for you with the book, and as soon as I get over my immediate troubles will
O TAKE my hand, Walt Whitman! Such gliding wonders! Such sights and sounds!
change of the light and shade, I see distant lands, as real and near to the inhabitants of them, as my
see Hermes, unsuspected, dying, well-beloved, saying to the people, Do not weep for me, This is not my
race, I see the results of the perseverance and industry of my race, I see ranks, colors, barbarisms
My spirit has passed in compassion and determination around the whole earth, I have looked for equals
New Orleans, San Francisco, The departing ships, when the sailors heave at the capstan; Evening—me in my
room—the setting sun, The setting summer sun shining in my open window, showing me flies, suspended,
, futurity, In space, the sporades, the scattered islands, the stars —on the firm earth, the lands, my
less in myself than the whole of the Manna- hatta Mannahatta in itself, Singing the song of These, my
ever united lands —my body no more inevitably united, part to part, and made one identity, any more
Have you studied out MY LAND, its idioms and men?
What is this you bring my America? Is it uniform with my country?
in your and my name, the Present time.
Open mouth of my Soul, uttering gladness, Eyes of my Soul, seeing perfection, Natural life of me, faithfully
To prepare for sleep, for bed—to look on my rose- colored flesh, To be conscious of my body, so amorous
You objects that call from diffusion my meanings and give them shape!
Why are there men and women that while they are nigh me, the sun-light expands my blood?
Why, when they leave me, do my pennants of joy sink flat and lank?
It is safe—I have tried it—my own feet have tried it well. Allons! Be not detained!
I give you my hand!
Bent to the very earth, here preceding what follows, Terrified with myself that I have dared to open my
whose echoes recoil upon me, I have not once had the least idea who or what I am, But that before all my
And I would that my tongue could utter The thoughts that arise in me!
I walked the shores of my Eastern Sea, Heard over the waves the little voice, Saw the divine infant,
and cogent, I maintain the bequeath'd cause, as for all lands, And I send these words to Paris, with my
4 To me I subject all the teachings of the schools, and all dicta and authority, to my the tests of myself
And myself,—and I encourage you to subject the same to the tests of yourself—and to subject me and my
shame or the need of shame. 28* Air, soil, water, fire, these are words, I myself am a word with them—my
qualities inter- penetrate interpenetrate with theirs—my name is nothing to them, Though it were told
in the three thousand languages, what would air, soil, water, fire, know of my name?
When I undertake to tell the best, I find I cannot, My tongue is ineffectual on its pivots, My breath
for something to repre- sent represent the new race, our self-poised Democracy, Therefore I send you my
my brother or my sister! Keep on!
who should serve the good old cause, the prog- ress progress and freedom of the race, the cause of my
is certain, one way or another, Doubtless I could not have perceived the universe, or written one of my
my likeness!
I reserve the right of using it in any future edition of my poems.
There shall from me be a new friendship—It shall be called after my name, It shall circulate through
other shall be invincible, They shall finally make America completely victo- rious victorious , in my
take from my lips this kiss, Whoever you are, I give it especially to you; So long—and I hope we shall
it harmed me, giving others the same chances and rights as myself—As if it were not indispensable to my
The package came safe to hand on Friday, containing my 20 purchased L. of G. and 20 to give away at discretion
I meant that you should discover me so, by my faint indirections, And I, when I meet you, mean to discover
cheerfully accept, A little sustenance, a hut and garden, a little money —these as I rendezvous with my
Thither every-day life, speech, utensils, politics, per- sons persons , estates, Thither we also, I with my
—My wife sends her warm regards to you. She desires much to see you. W.W.T.
meet and drawing their love in Never losing old friends, or new ones; and finding new on every day of my
O MY children! O mates!
beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough, To pass among them, or touch any one, or rest my
As I see my Soul reflected in nature, As I see through a mist, one with inexpressible com- pleteness
O my body!
likes of the Soul, (and that they are the Soul,) I believe the likes of you shall stand or fall with my
you read these, I, that was visible, am become invisible; Now it is you, compact, visible, realizing my
It is I, you women—I make my way, I am stern, acrid, large, undissuadable—but I love you, I do not hurt
babes I beget upon you are to beget babes in their turn, I shall demand perfect men and women out of my
WHAT think you I take my pen in hand to record?
over waves, toward the house of maternity, the land of migrations, look afar, Look off the shores of my
AS I sit with others, at a great feast, suddenly, while the music is playing, To my mind, (whence it
ONCE I passed through a populous city, imprinting my brain, for future use, with its shows, architec-
down-balls, nor perfumes, nor the high rain-emitting clouds, are borne through the open air, Any more than my
No—it has not yet fully risen ;) Whether I shall complete what is here started, Whether I shall attain my
I could not shut my eyes to their wild, rough beauty nor close my soul to the truths they expressed.
I write simply to express my unqualified disgust with the portions I have read.
How perfect is my Soul! How perfect the earth, and the minutest thing upon it!
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.
COME closer to me, Push closer, my lovers, and take the best I possess, Yield closer and closer, and
Neither a servant nor a master am I, I take no sooner a large price than a small price— I will have my
become so for your sake, If you remember your foolish and outlawed deeds, do you think I cannot remember my
are, I am this day just as much in love with them as you, Then I am 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
giving others the same chances and rights as myself— As if it were not indis‑ indispensable pensable to my
Isaac v Joseph Stephen & Jesse (my grandfather) sons of Nehemiah Whitman Phebe daughters Hannah Brush
My excuse for writing to you is, that it is a matter of the utmost importance to a client of mine.
—But of course my letter to you was not mailed, and now I have once more to reply to yours.— I am glad
kind and attentive to you, I assure you I did not think much of his bad delivery , but on the contrary my
, Unfolded only out of the inimitable poem of the woman, can come the poems of man—only thence have my
arrive, or passed on farther than those of the earth, I henceforth no more ignore them than I ignore my
in the room where I eat or sleep, I should be satisfied, And if the corpse of any one I love, or if my
My wife was indignant , and I should not wonder if she wrote a reply to it. W. W.
36 DESPAIRING cries float ceaselessly toward me, day and night, The sad voice of Death—the call of my
alarmed, uncertain, This sea I am quickly to sail, come tell me, Come tell me where I am speeding—tell me my