Walt Whitman

1861 Arm'd year! year of the struggle! Aboard At A Ship's Helm ABOARD, at a ship's helm, A Boston Ballad, 1854 TO get betimes in Boston town, I rose this morning early; A child said, What is the grass? A child said, What is the grass? fetching it to me with full A Child's Amaze SILENT and amazed, even when a little boy, A Clear Midnight THIS is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless, Adieu To A Solider ADIEU, O soldier! A Farm-Picture THROUGH the ample open door of the peaceful country barn, After The Sea-Ship AFTER the Sea-Ship--after the whistling winds; Ages And Ages, Returning At Intervals AGES and ages, returning at intervals, A Glimpse A GLIMPSE, through an interstice caught, A Hand-Mirror Hold it up sternly! See this it sends back! (Who is it? Is it you?) Ah Poverties, Wincings Sulky Retreats AH poverties, wincings, and sulky retreats! A Leaf For Hand In Hand A LEAF for hand in hand! All Is Truth O ME, man of slack faith so long! A March In The Ranks, Hard-prest A march in the ranks hard-prest, and the road unknown; American Feuillage AMERICA always! Among The Multitude AMONG the men and women, the multitude, An Army Corps On The March WITH its cloud of skirmishers in advance, A Noiseless Patient Spider A NOISELESS, patient spider, A Paumanok Picture TWO boats with nets lying off the sea-beach, quite still, Apostroph O MATER! O fils! A Proadway Pageant Over the western sea, hither from Niphon come, A Promise To California A PROMISE to California, Are You The New Person, Drawn Toward Me? ARE you the new person drawn toward me? A Riddle Song THAT which eludes this verse and any verse, As Adam, Early In The Morning AS Adam, early in the morning, As A Strong Bird On Pinious Free . As a strong bird on pinions free, As At Thy Portals Also Death AS at thy portals also death, As Consequent, Etc. AS consequent from store of summer rains, Ashes Of Soldiers Again a verse for sake of you, As I Ebb'd With the Ocean of Life 1 As If A Phantom Caress'd Me As if a phantom caress'd me, A Sight In Camp A SIGHT in camp in the day-break grey and dim, A Sight In Camp In The Daybreak A sight in camp in the daybreak gray and dim, As I Lay With My Head in Your Lap, Camerado As I lay with my head in your lap, camerado, As I Ponder'd In Silence As I ponder'd in silence, As I Sat Alone By Blue Ontario's Shores . As I sat alone, by blue Ontario's shore, As I Walk These Broad, Majestic Days AS I walk these broad, majestic days of peace, As I Watche'd The Ploughman Ploughing AS I watch'd the ploughman ploughing, A Song Come, I will make the continent indissoluble; assurances I NEED no assurances--I am a man who is preoccupied, of his own Soul; As The Time Draws Nigh As the time draws nigh, glooming, a cloud, As Toilsome I Wander'd AS TOILSOME I wander'd Virginia's woods, A Woman Waits For Me A WOMAN waits for me--she contains all, nothing is lacking, Bathed In War's Perfume BATHED in war's perfume--delicate flag! Beat! Beat! Drums! BEAT! beat! drums!--Blow! bugles! blow! Beautiful Women WOMEN sit, or move to and fro--some old, some young; Beginners HOW they are provided for upon the earth, (appearing at intervals Beginning My Studies BEGINNING my studies, the first step pleas'd me so much, Behavior BEHAVIOR--fresh, native, copious, each one for himself or herself, Behold This Swarthy Face BEHOLD this swarthy face--these gray eyes, Bivouac on a Mountain Side I see before me now a traveling army halting, Bivouac On A Mountain Side I see before me now, a traveling army halting; Brother Of All, With Generous Hand Brother of all, with generous hand, By Broad Potomac's Shore BY broad Potomac's shore--again, old tongue! By The Bivouac's Fitful Flame BY the bivouac's fitful flame, Camps Of Green NOT alone those camps of white, O soldiers, Carol Of Occupations COME closer to me; Carol Of Words EARTH, round, rolling, compact--suns, moons, animals--all these are Cavalry Crossing A Ford A LINE in long array, where they wind betwixt green islands; Chanting The Square Deific CHANTING the square deific, out of the One advancing, out of the City Of Orgies CITY of orgies, walks and joys! City Of Ships CITY of ships! Come, Said My Soul Come, said my soul, Come Up From The Fields, Father COME up from the fields, father, here's a letter from our Pete; Crossing Brooklyn Ferry FLOOD-TIDE below me! I watch you face to face; Darest Thou Now O Soul Darest thou now O soul, Debris HE is wisest who has the most caution, Delicate Cluster DELICATE cluster! flag of teeming life! Despairing Cries DESPAIRING cries float ceaselessly toward me, day and night, Dirge For Two Veterans THE last sunbeam Drum-Taps Aroused and angry, Earth! my Likeness! EARTH! my likeness! Eidólons . I MET a Seer, Elemental Drifts . ELEMENTAL drifts! Ethiopia Saluting The Colors WHO are you, dusky woman, so ancient, hardly human, Europe, The 72d And 73d Years Of These States SUDDENLY, out of its stale and drowsy lair, the lair of slaves, Excelsior WHO has gone farthest? For lo! have not I gone farther? Faces SAUNTERING the pavement, or riding the country by-road--lo! such Facing West From California's Shores FACING west, from California's shores, Fast Anchor'd, Eternal, O Love FAST-ANCHOR'D, eternal, O love! O woman I love! For Him I Sing FOR him I sing, For You, O Democracy Come, I will make the continent indissoluble, France, The 18th Year Of These States A GREAT year and place; From Far Dakota's Canons FROM far Dakota's cañons, From My Last Years FROM my last years, last thoughts I here bequeath, From Paumanok Starting FROM Paumanock starting, I fly like a bird, From Pent-up Aching Rivers FROM pent-up, aching rivers; Full Of Life, Now FULL of life, now, compact, visible, Germs FORMS, qualities, lives, humanity, language, thoughts, Give Me The Splendid, Silent Sun GIVE me the splendid silent sun, with all his beams full-dazzling; Gliding Over All GLIDING o'er all, through all, God THOUGHT of the Infinite--the All! Good-Bye My Fancy! Good-bye my Fancy! Great Are The Myths . GREAT are the myths--I too delight in them; Had I the Choice Had I the choice to tally greatest bards, Hast Never Come To Thee An Hour HAST never come to thee an hour, Here, Sailor WHAT ship, puzzled at sea, cons for the true reckoning? Here The Frailest Leaves Of Me HERE the frailest leaves of me, and yet my strongest-lasting: Hours Continuing Long HOURS continuing long, sore and heavy-hearted, How Solemn As One By One HOW solemn, as one by one, Hush'd Be the Camps Today Hush'd be the camps today, I Am He That Aches With Love I AM he that aches with amorous love; I Dream'd In A Dream I DREAM'D in a dream, I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the I Hear America Singing I HEAR America singing, the varied carols I hear; I Heard You, Solemn-sweep Pipes Of The Organ I HEARD you, solemn-sweet pipes of the organ, as last Sunday morn I I Hear It Was Charged Against Me I HEAR it was charged against me that I sought to destroy In Cabin'd Ships At Sea IN cabin'd ships, at sea, In Former Songs IN former songs Pride have I sung, and Love, and passionate, joyful In Midnight Sleep IN midnight sleep, of many a face of anguish, In Paths Untrodden IN paths untrodden, Inscription SMALL is the theme of the following Chant, yet the greatest--namely, In The New Garden In All The Parts IN the new garden, in all the parts, I Saw In Louisiana A Live Oak Growing I SAW in Louisiana a live-oak growing, I Saw Old General At Bay I SAW old General at bay; I Sing The Body Electric I SING the Body electric; I Sit And Look Out I SIT and look out upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon all Italian Music In Dakota THROUGH the soft evening air enwrinding all, I Thought I Was Not Alone I THOUGHT I was not alone, walking here by the shore, I Was Looking A Long While I WAS looking a long while for a clue to the history of the past for I Will Take An Egg Out Of The Robin's Nest I WILL take an egg out of the robin's nest in the orchard, Joy, Shipmate, Joy! Joy! shipmate--joy! Kosmos WHO includes diversity, and is Nature, Laws For Creations LAWS for Creations, Leaves Of Grass. A Carol Of Harvest For 1867 . A SONG of the good green grass! Lessons THERE are who teach only the sweet lessons of peace and safety; Locations And Times LOCATIONS and times--what is it in me that meets them all, whenever Long I Thought That Knowledge LONG I thought that knowledge alone would suffice me--O if I could Long, Too Long America Long, too long America, Look Down, Fair Moon LOOK down, fair moon, and bathe this scene; Lo! Victress On The Peaks LO! Victress on the peaks! Manhattan Streets I Saunter'd, Pondering Manhatten's streets I saunter'd, pondering, Mannahattan I WAS asking for something specific and perfect for my city, Mediums THEY shall arise in the States, Me Imperturbe ME imperturbe, standing at ease in Nature, Miracles WHY! who makes much of a miracle? Mother And Babe I SEE the sleeping babe, nestling the breast of its mother; My Picture-Gallery IN a little house keep I pictures suspended, it is not a fix'd house, Myself And Mine MYSELF and mine gymnastic ever, Native Moments NATIVE moments! when you come upon me--Ah you are here now! Give me now Night On The Prairies NIGHT on the prairies; No Labor-Saving Machine NO labor-saving machine, Not Heat Flames Up And Consumes NOT heat flames up and consumes, Not Heaving From My Ribb'd Breast Only NOT heaving from my ribb'd breast only; Not My Enemies Ever Invade Me NOT my enemies ever invade me--no harm to my pride from them I fear; Not The Pilot NOT the pilot has charged himself to bring his ship into port, though Not Youth Pertains To Me NOT youth pertains to me, Now Finale To The Shore NOW finale to the shore! Now List To My Morning's Romanza NOW list to my morning's romanza--I tell the signs of the Answerer; O Bitter Sprig! Confession Sprig! O BITTER sprig! Confession sprig! O Captain! My Captain! O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; Offerings A THOUSAND perfect men and women appear, Of Him I Love Day And Night OF him I love day and night, I dream'd I heard he was dead; Of The Terrible Doubt Of Apperarances OF the terrible doubt of appearances, Of The Visage Of Things OF the visages of things--And of piercing through to the accepted O Hymen! O Hymenee! O HYMEN! O hymenee! Old Ireland FAR hence, amid an isle of wondrous beauty, O Living Always--Always Dying O LIVING always--always dying! O Me! O Life! O ME! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; Once I Pass'd Through A Populous City ONCE I pass'd through a populous city, imprinting my brain, for One Hour To Madness And Joy ONE hour to madness and joy! One Song, America, Before I Go ONE song, America, before I go, One's Self I Sing ONE'S-SELF I sing--a simple, separate Person; One Sweeps By ONE sweeps by, attended by an immense train, On Journeys Through The States ON journeys through the States we start, On Old Man's Thought Of School AN old man's thought of School; On The Beach At Night ON the beach, at night, On The Beach At Night, Alone ON the beach at night alone, Or From That Sea Of Time OR, from that Sea of Time, O Star Of France O STAR of France! O Sun Of Real Peace O SUN of real peace! O hastening light! O Tan-faced Prairie Boy O TAN-FACED prairie-boy! Other May Praise What They Like OTHERS may praise what they like; Out From Behind His Mask OUT from behind this bending, rough-cut Mask, Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking . Out of the cradle endlessly rocking, Out of the Rolling Ocean, The Crowd OUT of the rolling ocean, the crowd, came a drop gently to me, Over The Carnage OVER the carnage rose prophetic a voice, O You Whom I Often And Silently Come O YOU whom I often and silently come where you are, that I may be Passage To India SINGING my days, Patroling Barnegat WILD, wild the storm, and the sea high running, Pensive And Faltering PENSIVE and faltering, Pensive On Her Dead Gazing... PENSIVE, on her dead gazing, I heard the Mother of All, Perfections ONLY themselves understand themselves, and the like of themselves, Pioneers! O Pioneers! COME, my tan-faced children, Poem Of Remembrance For A Girl Or A Boy YOU just maturing youth! You male or female! Poems Of Joys O TO make the most jubilant poem! Poets to Come POETS to come! orators, singers, musicians to come! Portals WHAT are those of the known, but to ascend and enter the Unknown? Prayer Of Columbus IT was near the close of his indomitable and pious life--on his last voyage President Lincoln's Burial Hymn When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom'd Primeval My Love For The Woman I Love PRIMEVAL my love for the woman I love, Proud Music Of The Storm PROUD music of the storm! Quicksand Years QUICKSAND years that whirl me I know not whither, Race Of Veterans RACE of veterans! Race of victors! Reconciliation Word over all, beautiful as the sky! Recorders Ages Hence RECORDERS ages hence! Respondez! RESPONDEZ! Respondez! Rise, O Days RISE, O days, from your fathomless deeps, till you loftier, fiercer Roaming In Thought ROAMING in thought over the Universe, I saw the little that is Good Roots And Leaves Themselves Alone ROOTS and leaves themselves alone are these; Salut Au Monde O TAKE my hand, Walt Whitman! Savantism THITHER, as I look, I see each result and glory retracing itself and Says I SAY whatever tastes sweet to the most perfect person, that is Scented Herbage Of My Breast SCENTED herbage of my breast, Sea-Shore Memories . OUT of the cradle endlessly rocking, Shut Not Your Doors, &c. SHUT not your doors to me, proud libraries, Sing Of The Banner At Day-Break POET. So Far And So Far, And On Toward The End SO far, and so far, and on toward the end, Solid, Ironical, Rolling Orb SOLID, ironical, rolling orb! So Long TO conclude--I announce what comes after me; Sometimes With One I Love SOMETIMES with one I love, I fill myself with rage, for fear I effuse Song At Sunset SPLENDOR of ended day, floating and filling me! Song For All Seas, All Ships TO-DAY a rude brief recitative, Song of Myself . I celebrate myself, and sing myself, Song Of The Broad-Axe WEAPON, shapely, naked, wan! Song Of The Exposition . AFTER all, not to create only, or found only, Song Of The Open Road AFOOT and light-hearted, I take to the open road, Song Of The Redwood-Tree . A prophecy and indirection--a thought impalpable, to breathe, as air; Song Of The Universal . COME, said the Muse, Souvenirs Of Democracy THE business man, the acquirer vast, Spain 1873-'74 OUT of the murk of heaviest clouds, Sparkles From The Wheel WHERE the city's ceaseless crowd moves on, the live-long day, Spirit That Form'd This Scene SPIRIT that form'd this scene, Spirit Whose Work Is Done SPIRIT whose work is done! spirit of dreadful hours! Spontaneous Me SPONTANEOUS me, Nature, Starting From Paumanok STARTING from fish-shape Paumanok, where I was born, States! STATES! Still, Though The One I Sing STILL, though the one I sing, Tears TEARS! tears! tears! Tests ALL submit to them, where they sit, inner, secure, unapproachable to That Last Invocation At the last, tenderly, That Music Always Round Me THAT music always round me, unceasing, unbeginning--yet long untaught That Shadow, My Likeness THAT shadow, my likeness, that goes to and fro, seeking a livelihood, The Artilleryman's Vision WHILE my wife at my side lies slumbering, and the wars are over long, The Base Of All Metaphysics AND now, gentlemen, The Centerarian's Story GIVE me your hand, old Revolutionary; The City Dead-House BY the City Dead-House, by the gate, The Dalliance Of The Eagles SKIRTING the river road, (my forenoon walk, my rest,) The Indications THE indications, and tally of time; The Last Invocation At the last, tenderly, The Mystic Trumpeter . HARK! some wild trumpeter--some strange musician, The Ox tamer IN a faraway northern county, in the placid, pastoral region, The Prairie-Grass Dividing THE prairie-grass dividing--its special odor breathing, The Prairie States A NEWER garden of creation, no primal solitude, There Was A Child Went Forth THERE was a child went forth every day; The Runner ON a flat road runs the well-train'd runner; These Carols THESE Carols, sung to cheer my passage through the world I see, These, I, Singing In Spring THESE, I, singing in spring, collect for lovers, The Ship Starting LO! THE unbounded sea! The Singer In The Prison O sight of shame, and pain, and dole! The Sleepers I WANDER all night in my vision, The Sobbing Of The Bells THE sobbing of the bells, the sudden death-news everywhere, The Torch ON my northwest coast in the midst of the night, a fishermen's group The Unexpressed How dare one say it? The Untold Want THE untold want, by life and land ne'er granted, The World Below The Brine THE world below the brine; The Wound Dresser 1 Thick-Sprinkled Bunting THICK-SPRINKLED bunting! Flag of stars! Think Of The Soul THINK of the Soul; This Compost SOMETHING startles me where I thought I was safest; This Day, O Soul THIS day, O Soul, I give you a wondrous mirror; This Dust Was Once The Man THIS dust was once the Man, This Moment, Yearning And Thoughtful THIS moment yearning and thoughtful, sitting alone, Thought OF obedience, faith, adhesiveness; Thoughts OF ownership--As if one fit to own things could not at pleasure enter Thou Orb Aloft Full-Dazzling THOU orb aloft full-dazzling! thou hot October noon! Thou Reader THOU reader throbbest life and pride and love the same as I, To A Certain Cantatrice HERE, take this gift! To A Certain Civilian DID YOU ask dulcet rhymes from me? To A Common Prostitute BE composed--be at ease with me--I am Walt Whitman, liberal and lusty To A Foil'd European Revolutionaire COURAGE yet! my brother or my sister! To A Historian YOU who celebrate bygones! To A Locomotive In Winter THEE for my recitative! To A President ALL you are doing and saying is to America dangled mirages, To A Pupil IS reform needed? Is it through you? To A Stranger PASSING stranger! you do not know how longingly I look upon you, To A Western Boy O BOY of the West! To Foreign Lands I HEARD that you ask'd for something to prove this puzzle, the New To Him That Was Crucified MY spirit to yours, dear brother; To Old Age I SEE in you the estuary that enlarges and spreads itself grandly as To One Shortly To Die FROM all the rest I single out you, having a message for you: To Oratists TO ORATISTS--to male or female, To Rich Givers WHAT you give me, I cheerfully accept, To The East And To The West TO the East and to the West; To Thee, Old Cause! TO thee, old Cause! To The Garden The World TO THE garden, the world, anew ascending, To The Leaven'd Soil They Trod TO the leaven'd soil they trod, calling, I sing, for the last; To The Man-of-War-Bird THOU who hast slept all night upon the storm, To The Reader At Parting NOW, dearest comrade, lift me to your face, To The States WHY reclining, interrogating? Why myself and all drowsing? To Think Of Time To think of time--of all that retrospection! To You STRANGER! if you, passing, meet me, and desire to speak to me, why Trinckle, Drops TRICKLE, drops! my blue veins leaving! Turn, O Libertad TURN, O Libertad, for the war is over, Two Rivulets TWO Rivulets side by side, Unfolded Out Of The Folds UNFOLDED out of the folds of the woman, man comes unfolded, and is Unnamed Lands NATIONS ten thousand years before These States, and many times ten Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night Vigil strange I kept on the field one night; Virginia--The West THE noble Sire, fallen on evil days, Visor'd A MASK--a perpetual natural disguiser of herself, Voices NOW I make a leaf of Voices--for I have found nothing mightier than Walt Whitman's Caution TO The States, or any one of them, or any city of The States, Wandering At Morn WANDERING at morn, Warble Of Lilac-Time WARBLE me now, for joy of Lilac-time, Weave In, Weave In, My Hardy Life WEAVE in! weave in, my hardy life! We Two Boys Together Clinging WE two boys together clinging, We Two-How Long We Were Fool'd WE two--how long we were fool'd! What Am I After All What am I after all but a child, pleas`d with the sound of my own name? repeating it over and over; What Best I See In Thee WHAT best I see in thee, What General Has A Good Army WHAT General has a good army in himself, has a good army; What Place Is Besieged? WHAT place is besieged, and vainly tries to raise the siege? What Think You I Take My Pen In Hand? WHAT think you I take my pen in hand to record? What Weeping Face WHAT weeping face is that looking from the window? When I Heard At The Close Of The Day WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv'd When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer WHEN I heard the learn'd astronomer; When I Peruse The Conquer'd Fame WHEN I peruse the conquer'd fame of heroes, and the victories of When I Read The Book WHEN I read the book, the biography famous, When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd . When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd, Whispers Of Heavenly Death WHISPERS of heavenly death, murmur'd I hear; Whoever You Are, Holding Me Now In Hand WHOEVER you are, holding me now in hand, Who Is Now Reading This? May-be one is now reading this who knows some wrong-doing of my past Who Learns My Lesson Complete? WHO learns my lesson complete? With All Thy Gifts WITH all thy gifts, America, With Antecedents WITH antecedents; World, Take Good Notice WORLD, take good notice, silver stars fading, Year Of Meteors, 1859 '60 YEAR of meteors! brooding year! Years Of The Modern YEARS of the modern! years of the unperform'd! Year That Trembled YEAR that trembled and reel'd beneath me! Yet, Yet, Ye Downcast Hours YET, yet, ye downcast hours, I know ye also;