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City Lunch N.Y.

Express, Oct. 21, 1856 "But for the American party, the Northern, sectional, geographical party of Wm

poem of the 1860–1861 edition of Leaves of Grass.

To you endless an To you, these, to report nature, man, politics, from an American point of view.

Lo, interminable intersecting streets in cities, full of living people, coming and going!

(See Bowers, Whitman's Manuscripts: Leaves of Grass [1860] A Parallel Text [Chicago: The University of

It is of course possible, however, that parts of the notebook were inscribed before and/or after the

Much of the notebook is devoted to draft material for the 1860 poem eventually titled "Starting from

brief passage (on the verso of leaf 25) seems clearly to have contributed to "Song at Sunset," another 1860

It is unclear which pages were inscribed first; furthermore, several of the leaves have become detached

visit to Egypt," two sets of manuscript notes about Egypt that Edward Grier dates to between 1855 and 1860

visit to Egypt," two sets of manuscript notes about Egypt that Edward Grier dates to between 1855 and 1860

soon crop out the true "L EAVES OF G RASS ," the fuller- grown work of which the former two issues were

Quite after the same token as the Italian Opera, to most bold Americans, and all new persons, even of

Then, in view of the latter words, bold American!

You, bold American!

No, bold American!

This manuscript probably dates to the early 1860s, as it appears to have been inscribed after the writing

the leaf (duk.00795), which contains draft lines that contributed to poems first published in the 1860

O you teeming cities! O so invincible, turbulent, proud! O race of the future! O women! O fathers!

even if it be only a few ragged huts; O the city where women walk in public processions in the streets

Cities! defiant of all outside authority! I spring at once into your arms! you I most love!

.— CWB M-XVIII This manuscript was probably written between 1856 and 1860, when Whitman was working on

This manuscript was probably written between 1856 and 1860, when Whitman was working on the poems for

cold—as the soiledness of animals and the bareness of vegetables and minerals No more than these th were

possibility that Whitman drafted this manuscript in the early 1850s, as he was composing the poems that were

possibility that Whitman drafted this manuscript in the early 1850s, as he was composing the poems that were

If indeed, we were compelled to guess the meaning of the poem, we should say it all lay in the compass

of these lines of Tennyson—the saddest and profoundest that ever were written: Break, break, break,

Revised as "Leaves of Grass. 1" in Leaves of Grass (1860) and reprinted as "Elemental Drifts," Leaves

leaveshandwritten; Of nearly as much significance as Whitman's copy of the 1855 Leaves is his copy of the Boston, 1860

original for this publication only. nyp.00015 Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass Boston Thayer and Eldridge 1860

2[1860-1864], Brooklyn and Washington notebookloc.04604xxx.00980Brooklyn & Washington Notebook1860-1875prose33

that men and women were flexible, real, alive! that every- thing everything was alive!

To think of all these wonders of city and country, and others taking great interest in them—and we taking

Do you enjoy yourself in the city? or engaged in business?

It is not to diffuse you that you were born of your mother and father—it is to identify you, It is not

The threads that were spun are gathered, the weft crosses the warp, the pattern is systematic.

the sick, sick dread lest the one he loved might secretly be indifferent to him, Whose happiest days were

was not a happy night for me that fol- lowed followed ; And else, when I caroused, or when my plans were

slow drops, Candid, from me falling—drip, bleeding drops, From wounds made to free you whence you were

all my grand assumptions and egotisms with derision, Or may-be one who is puzzled at me. 31 As if I were

burial- places, to find him, And I found that every place was a burial-place, The houses full of life were

shipping, the places of amusement, the Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, the Manna- hatta Mannahatta , were

I am willing to disregard burial-places, and dispense with them, And if the memorials of the dead were

CITY of my walks and joys!

City whom that I have lived and sung there will one day make you illustrious, Not the pageants of you—not

the crossing of the street, or on the ship's deck, kiss him in return; We observe that salute of American

we flit by each other, fluid, affec- tionate affectionate , chaste, matured, You grew up with me, were

Only I will establish in the Mannahatta, and in every city of These States, inland and seaboard, And

the sea-beach dancing, With birds singing—With fishes swimming—With trees branching and leafing, Cities

Through youth, and through middle and old age, how unfaltering, how affectionate and faithful they were

and for Oregon: Sojourning east a while longer, soon I travel to you, to remain, to teach robust American

Or the vaunted glory and growth of the great city spread around me?

I DREAMED in a dream, I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth, I

dreamed that was the new City of Friends, Nothing was greater there than the quality of robust love—it

led the rest, It was seen every hour in the actions of the men of that city, And in all their looks

invisible; Now it is you, compact, visible, realizing my poems, seeking me, Fancying how happy you were

, if I could be with you, and become your lover; Be it as if I were with you.

Were you looking to be held together by the lawyers? By an agreement on a paper? Or by arms? Away!

America, and along the shores of the great lakes, and all over the prairies, I will make inseparable cities

sleepless, deep in the night, when I go forth, speeding swiftly the country roads, or through the city

think it would be best not at all to bother with arguments against the foreign models, or to help American

models—but just go on supplying American models Not to blaat constantly for Native American models,

—The best way to promulge Native American models and literature, is to supply such forcible and s p u

the greatest city in the whole world.

Where the city stands with the brawniest breed of orators and bards, Where the city stands that is beloved

city of the healthiest fathers stands, Where the city of the best-bodied mothers stands, There the greatest

city stands.

Were those your vast and solid?

American masses!

Were all educations, practical and ornamental, well displayed out of me, what would it amount to?

Were I as the head teacher, charitable proprietor, wise statesman, what would it amount to?

Were I to you as the boss employing and paying you, would that satisfy you?

, the trottoirs of a city when thousands of well-dressed people walk up and down, The cotton, woollen

Always the prairies, pastures, forests, vast cities, travellers, Kanada, the snows; Always these compact

White drift spooning ahead, where the ship in the tempest dashes; On solid land, what is done in cities

cotton-bales piled on banks and wharves; Encircling all, vast-darting, up and wide, the Amer- ican American

day, driving the herd of cows, and shouting to them as they loiter to browse by the road-side; The city

and down, casting swift shadows in specks on the opposite wall, where the shine is; The athletic American

Chants Democratic and Native American 1 1.

incomparable love, Plunging his semitic muscle into its merits and demerits, Making its geography, cities

, The superior marine, free commerce, fisheries, whaling, gold-digging, Wharf-hemmed cities, railroad

to American persons, progresses, cities? Chicago, Kanada, Arkansas?

I will make cities and civilizations defer to me!

Chants Democratic and Native American 10 10. HISTORIAN! you who celebrate bygones!

do not tell the usual facts, proved by records and documents, What I tell, (talking to every born American

nor afraid; Chanter of Personality, outlining a history yet to be, I project the ideal man, the American

Chants Democratic and Native American 11 11.

women there—of happiness in those high plateaus, ranging three thousand miles, warm and cold, Of cities

Chants Democratic and Native American 12 12.

refuse, all attend, Armies, ships, antiquities, the dead, libraries, paint- ings paintings , machines, cities

Chants Democratic and Native American 13 13.

Chants Democratic and Native American 14 14. POETS to come!

Indeed, if it were not for you, what would I be?

Chants Democratic and Native American 15 15. WHO has gone farthest?

For I think I have reason to be the proudest son alive—for I am the son of the brawny and tall-topt city

Chants Democratic and Native American 16 16.

ucts products —they shall enjoy the sight of the beef, lumber, bread-stuffs, of Chicago, the great city

Chants Democratic and Native American 17 17.

We dwell a while in every city and town, We pass through Kanada, the north-east, the vast valley of the

Chants Democratic and Native American 18 18.

Chants Democratic and Native American 19 19.

Chants Democratic and Native American 20 20. AMERICAN mouth-songs!

Chants Democratic and Native American 21 21.

the world—politics, produce, The announcements of recognized things—science, The approved growth of cities

But we too announce solid things, Science, ships, politics, cities, factories, are not noth- ing nothing

Chants Democratic and Native American 5 5. RESPONDEZ! Respondez! Let every one answer!

Let those that were prisoners take the keys! (Say! why might they not just as well be transposed?)

Let the Asiatic, the African, the European, the American and the Australian, go armed against the murderous

Let there be wealthy and immense cities—but through any of them, not a single poet, saviour, knower,

Chants Democratic and Native American 6 6. YOU just maturing youth! You male or female!

Chants Democratic and Native American 7 7.

that the old accounts, bibles, genealogies, are true, without exception, I assert that all past days were

what they should have been, And that they could no-how have been better than they were, And that to-day