Quotes from Walt Whitman

Now I will do nothing but listen to accrue what I hear into this song. To let sounds contribute toward it. I hear the sound I love. The sound of the human voice. I hear all sounds running together.

Sail Forth- Steer for the deep waters only. Reckless O soul, exploring. I with thee and thou with me. For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared go. And we will risk the ship, ourselves, and all.

I pass death with the dying and birth with the new-wash'd babe, and am not contained between my hat and my boots

They do not sweat and whine about their condition, they do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins, they do not make me sick discussing their duty to God, not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things, not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago.

I will be your poet, I will be more to you than to any of the rest.

I dream in my dream all the dreams of the other dreamers, And I become the other dreamers.

Song of myself Smile O voluptuous cool-breath'd earth! Earth of the slumbering and liquid trees! Earth of departed sunset--earth of the mountains misty-topt! Earth of the vitreous pour of the full moon just tinged with blue! Earth of shine and dark mottling the tide of the river! Earth of the limpid gray of clouds brighter and clearer for my sake! Far-swooping elbow'd earth--rich apple-blossom'd earth! Smile, for your lover comes.

To know the universe itself as a road, as many roads, as roads for traveling souls. -from Song of the Open Road

The press of my foot to the earth springs a hundred affections, They scorn the best I can do to relate them.

I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends.

I do not ask who you are, that is not important to me,   You can do nothing and be nothing but what I will infold you.

I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runway sun, I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love. If you want me again look for me under your boot soles. You will hardly know who I am or what I mean. Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged, missing me one place search another, I stop somewhere waiting for you