Section 30

This face of a healthy honest boy is the programme of all good.
These faces bear testimony, slumbering or awake ; They show their descent from the Master himself.
Off the word I have spoken, I except not one—red, white, black, are all deific ;
In each house is the ovum—it comes forth after a thousand years.
Spots or cracks at the windows do not disturb me ; 60 Tall and sufficient stand behind, and make signs to me; I read the promise, and patiently wait.
LEAVES OF GRASS 285
This is a full-grown lily’s face,
She speaks to the limber-hipp’d man near the garden pickets,
Come here, elie blushingly cries—Come nigh to me, limber-hipp’ d man,
Stand at my side till I lean as high as I can upon you,
Lill me with albescent honey, bend down to me,
Rub to me with your chafing beard, rub to my breast and shoul-
aers. 5 The old face of the mother of many children! Whist ! Iam fully content. 70
Lull’d and late is the smoke of the First-day morning,
It hangs low over the rows of trees by the fences,
It hangs thin by the sassafras, the wild-cherry, and the cat-brier under them.
I saw the rich ladies in full dress at the soiree,
I heard what the singers were singing so long,’
Heard who sprang in crimson youth from the white froth and the water-blue,
Behold a woman ! She looks out from her quaker cap—her face is clearer and more beautiful than the sky.
She sits in an arm-chair, under the shaded porch of the farm- house, The sun just shines on her old white head. 80
Her ample gown is of cream-hued linen, Her grandsons raised the flax, and her granddaughters spun it with the distaff and the wheel.
The melodious character of the earth,
The finish beyond which philosophy cannot go, and does not wish to go,
The justified mother of men.
1 1855 75660 add ‘‘and give me your finger and thumb.”’ 2 17855756. For ‘‘ First-day’’ read ‘‘ Sabbath.”’ 3 1855 reads ‘*I heard what the run of the poets were saying so long.”’
286 LEAVES OF GRASS
MANHATTAN’S STREETS I SAUNTER’D, PONDERING.
First published in 1856 under title of ‘‘ Poem of the Last Explanation of Prudence.” a ManuatTran’s streets I saunter’d, pondering,’
On time, space, reality—on such as these, and abreast with them,
prudence. 2
After all, the last explanation remains to be made about pru- dence ;
Little and large alike drop quietly aside from the prudence that suits immortality.
The Soul is of itself ;
All verges to it—all has reference to what ensues ;
All that a person does, says, thinks, is of consequence ;
Not a move can a man or woman make, that affects him or her in a day, month, any part of the direct life-time, or the hour of death, but the same affects him or her onward afterward through the indirect life-time.
3 The indirect is just as much’ as the direct, The spirit receives from the body just as much as it gives to the body, if not more. 10
Not one word or deed—not venereal sore, discoloration, privacy of the onanist, putridity of gluttons or rum-drinkers, peculation, cunning, betrayal, murder, seduction, prostitu- tion, but has results beyond death, as really as before death.
4
Charity and personal force are the only investments worth any- thing.
No specification is necessary—all that a male or female does, that is vigorous, benevolent, clean, isso much profit to him or her, in the unshakable order of the universe, and through the whole scope of it forever.
1 1856 ’60 read “ All day I have walked the city, and’ talked with my friends and thought of prudence.’’
2 1856’60. For ‘just as much as’’ read ‘‘ more than.”’
LEAVES OF GRASS 287
5 Who has been wise, receives interest, Savage, felon, President, judge,’ farmer, sailor, mechanic, literat,? young, old, it is the same, The interest will come round—all will come round.
Singly, wholly, to affect now, affected their time, will forever affect all of the past, and all of the present, and all of the future,
All the brave actions of war and peace,
All help given to relatives, strangers, the poor, old, sorrowful, young children, widows, the sick, and to shunn’d per- sons,
All furtherance of fugitives, and of the escape of slaves, 20
All self-denial that stood steady and aloof on wrecks, and saw others fill the seats of the boats,
All offering of substance or life for the good old cause, or for a friend’s sake, or opinion’s sake,
All pains of enthusiasts, scoff’d at by their neighbors,
All the limitless sweet love and precious suffering of mothers,
All honest men baffled in strifes recorded or unrecorded,
All the grandeur and good of ancient nations whose fragments we inherit,
All the good of the dozens’ of ancient ae unknown to us by name, date, location,
All that was ever manfully begun, whether it succeeded or no,
All suggestions of the divine mind of man, or the divinity of his mouth, or the shaping of his great hands ;
All that is well thought or said this day on any part of the globe —or on any of the wandering stars, or on any of the fix’d stars, by those there as we are here ; 30
All that is henceforth to be thought or done by you, whoever you are, or by any one;
These inure, have inured, shall inure, to the identities from which they sprang, or shall spring.
6 Did you guess anything lived only its moment ? The world does not so exist—no parts palpable or impalpable so exists 1 1856 adds ‘¢ prostitute.’’
2 ¢Jiterat’’ added in 1867. 3 1856 ’60’67. For ‘‘dozens’’ read ‘‘ hundreds.”’
288 LEAVES OF GRASS
No consummation exists without being from seme long previous consummation—and that from some other,
Without the farthest conceivable one coming a bit nearer the beginning than any.
: if
Whatever satisfies Souls is true ;
Prudence entirely’ satisfies the craving and glut of Souls ;
Itself only finally satisfies the Soul ;
The Soul has that measureless pride which revolts from every lesson but its own. 40
8
Now I give you an inkling ;
Now I breathe the word of the prudence that walks abreast with time, space, reality,
That answers the pride which refuses every lesson but its own.
What is prudence, is indivisible,
Declines to separate one part of life from every part,
Divides not the righteous from the unrighteous, or the living from the dead,
Matches every thought or act by its correlative,
Knows no possible forgiveness, or deputed atonement,
Knows that the young man who composedly peril’d his life and lost it, has done exceedingly well for himself without doubt,
That he who never peril’d his life, but retains it to old age in riches and ease, has probably achiev’d nothing for him- self worth mentioning ; 50
Knows that only that person has really learn’d, who has learn’d to prefer results,
Who favors Body and Soul the same,
Who perceives the indirect assuredly following the direct,
Who in his spirit in any emergency whatever neither hurries or avoids death.
5d
ALL IS TRUTH. First published in 1860.
O ME, man of slack faith so long! Standing aloof—denying portions so long ;? Only aware to-day of compact, all-diffused truth ;
1 ¢entirely’’ added in 1860,
2 After line 2, 1860 reads ‘“‘We with mole’s eyes, unrisen to buoyancy and vision unfree,’
LEAVES OF GRASS 289
Discovering to-day there is no lie, or form of lie, and can be none, but grows as inevitably upon itself as the truth does upon itself,
Or as any law of the earth, or any natural production of the earth does.
(This is curious, and may not be realized immediately—But it must be realized ;
I feel in myself that I represent falsehoods equally with the rest,
And that the universe does. )
Where has fail’d a perfect return, indifferent of lies or the
truth ? Is it upon the ground, or in water or fire? or in the spirit of man? or in the meat and blood ? 10
Meditating among liars, and retreating sternly into myself, I see
‘ that there are really no liars or lies after all,
And that nothing fails its perfect return—And that what are called lies are perfect returns,
And that each thing exactly represents itself, and what has pre- ceded it,
And that the truth includes all, and is compact, just as much as space is compact,
And that there is no flaw or vacuum in the amount of the truth —but that all is truth without exception ;
And henceforth I will go celebrate anything I see or am,
And sing and laugh, and deny nothing.
&
VOICES. First published in 1860. Now I make a leaf of Voices—for I have found nothing mightier than they are, And I have found that no word spoken, but is beautiful, in its place.
O what is it in me that makes me tremble so at voices ? Surely, whoever speaks to me in the right voice. him or her I shall follow, As the water follows the moon, silently, with fluid steps, any- where around the globe. 19
290 - LEAVES OF GRASS
All waits for the right voices ;'
Where is the practis’d and perfect organ? Where is the devel- op’d Soul ?
For I see every word utter’d thence, has deeper, sweeter, new sounds, impossible on less terms.
I see brains and lips closed—tympans and temples unstruck,
Until that comes which has the quality to strike and to unclose, IO
Until that comes which has the quality to bring forth what lies slumbering, forever ready, in all words.
MARCHES NOW THE WAR IS OVER.
AS I SAT ALONE BY BLUE ONTARIO’S SHORE.
First published in 1856, under title of ‘‘ Poem of Many in One.”
ne
As I sat alone, by blue Ontario’s shore,
As I mused of these mighty days, and of peace return’d, and the dead that return no more,
A Phantom, gigantic, superb, with stern visage, accosted me ;
Chant me the poem, it said, that comes from the soul of America— chant me the carol of victory ;
And strike up the marches of Libertad—marches more powerful
et *
And sing* me before you go, the song of the throes of Democ-
racy.
(Democracy—the destin’d conqueror—yet creacherous lip- smiles everywhere, And Death and infidelity at every step. )
1 1860 reads “ Now I believe that all waits,’’ etc. ? Lines 1-8 added in ‘‘ Songs Before Parting.”? 8 For lines 5 and 6, ‘‘ Songs Before Parting’’ reads *‘ Chant me a poem, it said, of the range of the high soul of the poets, And chant of the welcome bards, that breathe but my native air—and invoke those bards.”’ * «Songs Before Parting.’”? For ‘sing’’ reads ‘‘ chant.’’
MARCHES NOW THE WAR IS OVER 291
» A Nation announcing itself,’ I myself make the only growth by which I can be appre- ciated, ie) I reject none, accept all, then reproduce all in my own forms.
A breed whose proof is in time and deeds ;?
What we are, we are—nativity is answer enough to objections ;
We wield ourselves as a weapon is wielded,
We are powerful and tremendous in ourselves,
We are executive in ourselves—We are sufficient in the variety of ourselves,
We are the most beautiful to ourselves, and in ourselves ;
We stand self-pois’d in the middle, branching thence over the
world ;
From Missouri, Nebraska, or Kansas, laughing attacks to scorn.*
Nothing is sinful to us outside of ourselves, 20
Whatever appears, whatever does not appear, we are beautiful or sinful in ourselves only.
(O mother! O sisters dear ! If we are lost, no victor else has destroy’d us ; It is by ourselves we go down to eternal night. )*
3
Have you thought there could be but a single Supreme ?
There can be any number of Supremes—One does not counter- vail another, any more than one eyesight countervails another, or one life countervails another.
All is eligible to all, All is for individuals—All is for you, No condition is prohibited—not God’s, or any.®
1 1860 adds ‘‘(many in one).’’ This line begins poem in 1856 ’60. 2 1856 ’60 read ‘‘ A breed whose testimony is behavior.”’
3 Lines 18-19 added in ‘‘ Songs Before Parting.”’
4 Lines 23-25 added in ‘‘ Songs Before Parting.”’ ee
5 1856’60. After line 29 read ‘If one is lost you are inevitably lost.”’
292 LEAVES OF GRASS
All comes by the body—only health puts you rapport with the universe. 30
Produce great persons, the rest follows.
4
America isolated I sing ;
I say that works made here in the spirit of other lands, are so much poison in The States.*
(How dare such insects as we see assume to write poems for America ?
For our victorious armies, and the offspring following the armies ?)?
Piety and conformity to them that like!
Peace, obesity, allegiance, to them that like!
I am he who tauntingly compels men, women, nations, Crying, Leap from your seats, and contend for your lives!
-T am he who walks the States® with a barb’d tongue, questioning
every one I meet ;* 40 Who are you, that wanted only to be told what you knew before ? Who are you, that wanted only a book to join you in your nonsense ?
(With pangs and cries, as thine own, O bearer of many children! These clamors wild, to a race of pride I give. )*
O lands! would you be freer than all that has ever been before ?® If you would be freer than all that has been before, come listen to me."
1 Lines 32-33 added in ‘‘ Songs Before Parting.’’
2 For lines 34-35, 1856 reads: : “‘ How dare a sick man, or an obedient man write poems ? Which is the theory or book that is not diseased ?”’
1860 reads ‘‘ How dare a sick man, or an obedient man write poems for
These States ?
Which is the theory or book that, for our purposes is not diseased ?”’
* 185660. For ‘‘who walks the States’’ read ‘‘who goes through the streets.’? :
* 1856 ’60 add ‘‘ —questioning you up there now,’?
5 Lines 43-44 added in “‘Songs Before Parting.’’
6 1856 ’60 read ‘ Are you or would you be better than all,”’ etc.
7 1856 reads ‘‘If you would be better than all that has ever been before, come listen to me and I will tell you.’’ 1860 reads “If you would be better than all that has ever been before, come listen to me and not otherwise.?’
MARCHES NOW THE WAR IS OVER 293
Fear grace—Fear elegance, civilization,! delicatesse,
Fear the mellow sweet, the sucking of honey-juice ;
Beware the advancing mortal ripening of nature,
Beware what precedes the decay of the ruggedness of states and men. 50
Ages, precedents,’ have long been accumulating undirected ma- terials, America brings builders, and brings its own styles.
The immortal poets of Asia and Europe have done’ their work, and pass’d to other spheres, A work remains,* the work of surpassing all they have done.
America, curious toward foreign characters, stands by its own at all hazards,°
Stands removed, spacious, composite, sound®’—initiates the true use of precedents, ;
Does not repel them, or the past, or what they have produced under their forms,’
Takes the lesson with calmness, perceives the corpse slowly borne from the house,®
Perceives that it waits a little while in the door—that it was fit- test for its days,
That its life has descended to the stalwart and well-shaped heir who approaches, 60
And that he shall be fittest for his days.
Any period, one nation must lead, One land must be the promise and reliance of the future.
These States are the amplest poem,
Here is not merely a nation, but a teeming nation of nations,
Here the doings of men correspond with the broadcast doings of the day and night,
1
2 1856 ’60 add ‘‘poems.’’ ‘Songs Before Parting’’ adds ‘‘ chants,”’
3 1856 ’60 read ‘‘ Mighty bards have done,”’ etc.
4.485660 and ‘Songs Before Parting’’ read ‘‘ One work forever remains,’’ c
5
6
1856 reads ‘‘ stands sternly by its own.”’ 1856 ’60 add ‘Sees itself promulger of men and women,”’ 1856 ’60 add ‘‘ or amid other politics, or amid the idea of castes, or the old religions,” 8 1856 ’60 read “ from the eating and sleeping rooms of the house.”’
a
294 LEAVES OF GRASS
Here is what moves in magnificent masses, careless' of particu- lars,
Here are the roughs, beards, friendliness, combativemess, the Soul loves,
Here the flowing trains—here the crowds, equality, diversity, the
Soul loves. ° 6 Land of lands,’ and bards to corroborate ! 70 Of them, standing among them, one lifts to the light his west- bred face,
To him the hereditary countenance bequeath’d, both. mother’s and father’s,
His first parts substances, earth, water, animals, trees,
Built of the common stock, having room for far and near,
Used to dispense with other lands, incarnating this land,
Attracting it Body and Soul to himself, hanging on its neck with incomparable love,
Plunging his seminal muscle into its merits and demerits,
Making its cities, beginnings, events, diversities, wars, vocal in him,*®
Making its rivers, lakes, bays, embouchure in him,
Mississippi with yearly freshets and changing chutes—Colum- bia, Niagara, Hudson, spending themselves lovingly in him, * 80
If the Atlantic coast stretch, or the Pacific coast stretch, he stretching with them north or south,
Spanning between them, east and west, and touching whatever is between them,