Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitmanwas an American poet, essayist, and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described as obscene for its overt sexuality...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth31 May 1819
CountryUnited States of America
I think I will do nothing for a long time but listen, And accrue what I hear into myself...and let sound contribute toward me.
The poet judges not as a judge judges but as the sun falling around a helpless thing.
The greatest country, the richest country, is not that which has the most capitalists, monopolists, immense grabbings, vast fortunes, with its sad, sad soil of extreme, degrading, damning poverty, but the land in which there are the most homesteads, freeholds - where wealth does not show such contrasts high and low, where all men have enough - a modest living- and no man is made possessor beyond the sane and beautiful necessities.
The earth is rude, silent, incomprehensible at first; Be not discouraged - keep on - there are divine things, well envelop'd; I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.
Give me solitude, give me Nature, give me again O Nature your primal sanities!
There was never any more inception than there is now, Nor any more youth or age than there is now; And will never be any more perfection than there is now, Nor any more heaven or hell than there is now.
Charity and personal force are the only investments worth anything.
O to be self-balanced for contingencies, to confront night, storms, hunger, ridicule, accidents, rebuffs, as the trees and animals do.
Henceforth I ask not good fortune. I myself am good fortune.
Give me the splendid, silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling.
Whoever degrades another degrades me.
What is that you express in your eyes? It seems to me more than all the print I have read in my life.
Do anything, but let it produce joy.
A great city is that which has the greatest men and women.