Section 48

OF the visages of things—And of piercing through to the ac- cepted hells beneath ; :
Of ugliness—To me there is just as much in it as there is in beauty —And now the ugliness of human beings is acceptable to me ;
Of detected persons—To me, detected persons are not, in any respect, worse than undetected persons—and are not in any respect worse than I am myself ;
Of criminals—To me, any judge, or any juror, is equally crim- inal—and any reputable person is also—and the President is also.
& SAYS.
First published i: . 860. In 1867 Stanzas 2, 3, 4,6 and 8 are discarded, but title retained. In 1870, part retained is published under title of ‘* Suggestions.””
I I say whatever tastes sweet to the most perfect person, that is finally right.
474 LEAVES OF GRASS
2
I say nourish a great intellect, a great brain ; If I have said anything to the contrary, I hereby retract it.
Bc
I say man shall not hold property in man ;
I say the least developed person on earth is just as important and sacred to himself or herself, as the most developed person is to himself or herself.
4
I say where liberty draws not the blood out of slavery, there slavery draws the blood out of liberty,
I say the word of the good old cause in These States, and re- sound it hence over the world.
5
I say the human shape or face is so great, it must never be made ridiculous ; 5
I say for ornaments nothing outre can be allowed,
And that anything is most beautiful without ornament, ate) And that exaggerations will be sternly revenged in your own physiology, and in other persons’ physiology also ;
And I say that clean-shaped children can be jetted and conceived only where natural forms prevail in public, and the hu- man face and form are never caricatured ;
And I say that genius need never more be turned to romances,
(For facts properly told, how mean appear all romances. )
6
I say the word of lands fearing nothing—lI will have no other land ;
I say discuss all and expose all—I am for every topic openly ;
I say there can be no salvation for These States without inno- vators—without free tongues, and ears willing to hear the tongues ;
And I announce asa glory of These States, that they respectfully listen to propositions, reforms, fresh views and doctrines, from successions of men and women,
Each age with its own growth.
GATHERED LEAVES 475
7 I have said many times that materials and the Soul are great, and that all depends on physique ; 20
Now I reverse what I said, and affirm that all depends on the esthetic or intellectual, And that criticism is great—and that refinement is greatest of all ; And I affirm now that the mind governs—and that all depends on the mind. 8
With one man or woman—(no matter which one—I even pick out the lowest, )
With him or her I now illustrate the whole law ;
I say that every right, in politics or what-not, shall be eligible to that one man or woman, on the same terms as any.
*
DEBRIS. Published in 1860 and 1867.
HE is wisest who has the most caution, He only wins who goes far enough.
Any thing is as good as established, when that is established that will produce it and continue it.
& WHAT GENERAL HAS A GOOD ARMY.
Published as part of ‘‘ Debris ”’ in 1860. Wuat General has a good army in himself, has a good army ; He happy in himself, or she happy in herself, is happy, But I tell you you cannot be happy by others, any more than you can beget or conceive a child by others.
& DESPAIRING CRIES.
Published as part of ‘‘ Debris” in 1860; in 1867 under this title. I
DESPAIRING cries float ceaselessly toward me, day and night, , The sad voice of Death—the call of my nearest lover, putting forth, alarmed, uncertain,
476 LEAVES OF GRASS
This sea IT am quickly to satl, come tell me, Come tell me where I am speeding—tell me my destination.
2
I understand your anguish, but I cannot help you,
I approach, hear, behold—the sad mouth, the look out of the eyes, your mute inquiry,
Whither I go from the bed I now recline on, come tell me ;
Old age, alarmed, uncertain—A young woman’s voice appealing to me, for comfort,
A young man’s voice, Shad/ [ not escape ?
*
ONE SWEEPS BY.
Published as part of ‘‘ Debris”’ in 1860.
ONE sweeps by, attended by an immense train, All emblematic of peace—not a soldier or menial among them.
One sweeps by, old, with black eyes, and profuse white hair,
He has the simple magnificence of health and strength,
His face strikes as with flashes of lightning whoever it turns toward.
Three old men slowly pass, followed by three others, and they by three others,
They are beautiful—the one in the middle of each group holds his companions by the hand,
As they walk, they give out perfume wherever they walk.
&*
WHAT WEEPING FACE. Published as part of ‘ Debris ”’ in 1860. WHAT weeping face is that looking from the window? Why does it stream those sorrowful tears? Is it for some burial place, vast and dry? Is it to wet the soil of graves?
“2
GATHERED LEAVES 477
I WILL TAKE AN EGG OUT OF THE ROBIN’S NEST. 5 Published as part of “‘ Debris”’ in 1860.
I wit take an egg out of the robin’s nest in the orchard,
I will take a branch of gooseberries from the old bush in the garden, and go and preach to the world ;
You shall see I will not meet a single heretic or scorner,
You shall see how I stump clergymen, and confound them,
You shall see me showing a scarlet tomato, and a white pebble from the beach.
&
BEHAVIOR. Published as part of “‘ Debris” in 1860.
BEHAVIOR—fresh, native, copious, each one for himself or her- self,
Nature and the Soul expressed—America and freedom expressed —TIn it the finest art,
In it pride, cleanliness, sympathy, to have their chance,
In it physique, intellect, faith—in it just as much as to manage an army or a city, or to write a book—perhaps more,
The youth, the laboring person, the poor person, rivalling all the rest—perhaps outdoing the rest,
The effects of the universe no greater than its ;
For there is nothing in the whole universe that can be more ef- fective than a man’s or woman’s daily behavior can be,
In any position, in any one of These States.
&* I THOUGHT I WAS NOT ALONE.
Published as part of ‘‘ Debris’”’ in 1860. I THouGHT I was not alone, walking here by the shore, But the one I thought was with me, as now I walk by the shore, As I lean and look through the glimmering light—that one has utterly disappeared, And those appear that perplex me.
& INSCRIPTION.
First published in 1867; not again published till 1888, SMALL is the theme of the following Chant, yet the greatest— namely, One’s-Self—that wondrous thing a simple, sepa- rate person. ‘That, for the use of the New World, I sing.
478 LEAVES OF GRASS
Man’s physiology complete, from top to toe, I sing. Not physi- | ognomy alone, nor brain alone, is worthy for the muse ; ) —I say the Form complete is worthier far. The female equal with the male, I sing,
Nor cease at the theme of One’s-Self. I ye the word of the modern, the word En-Masse :
My Days I sing, and the Lands—with interstice I knew of hap- less War.
O friend whoe’er you are, at last arriving hither to commence, I feel through every leaf the pressure of your hand, which I return. And thus upon our journey link’d together let us go.
*
NOT MY ENEMIES EVER INVADE ME. Published in “‘ When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom'd,’’ 1865-6.
NoT my enemies ever invade me—no harm to my pride from them I fear ;
But the lovers I recklessly love—lo! how they master me !
Lo! me, ever open and helpless, bereft of my strength !
Utterly abject, grovelling on the ground before them.
GREAT ARE THE MYTHS.
First published in 1855. In edition of 1856 under title of ‘‘ Poem of a few Greatnesses.” n 1860 as No, 2 “* Leayes of Grass,’’ page x99. In 1867’70 under title as above.
I
GreaT are the myths—I too delight in them ;
Great are Adam and Eve—I too look back and accept them ;
Great the risen and fallen nations, and their poets, women, sages, inventors, rulers, warriors, and priests.
7
GATHERED LEAVES 479
Great is Liberty! great is Equality! I am their follower ; Helmsmen of nations, choose your craft ! where you sail, I sail,? I weather it out with you, or sink with you.’
Great is Youth—equally great is Old Age—great are the Day and Night ;
Great is Wealth—great is Poverty—great is Expression—great is Silence.
Youth, large, lusty, loving—Youth, full of grace, force, fascina-
tion ! Do you know that Old Age may come after you, with equal grace, force, fascination ? ike)
Day, full-blown and splendid—Day of the immense sun, action, ambition, laughter,
The Night follows close, with millions of suns, and sleep, and restoring darkness.
Wealth, with the flush hand, fine clothes, hospitality ;
But then the Soul’s wealth, which is candor, knowledge, pride, enfolding Jove ;
(Who goes for men and women showing Poverty richer than wealth ?)
Expression of speech ! in what is written or said, forget not that Silence is also expressive,
That anguish as hot as the hottest, and contempt as cold as the coldest, may be without words.*
1 1855 56 ’60 after line 5 read: } : “ have absolute faith.
Great is To-day, and beautiful, It is good to live in this age—there never was any better.
Great are the plunges, throes, triumphs, downfalls of Democracy, Great the reformers, with their lapses and screams, ‘ Great the daring and venture of sailors, on new explorations.
Great are Yourself and Myself, We are just as good and bad as the oldest and youngest or any, What the best and worst,did, we could do, What they felt, do not we feel it in ourselves ? What they wished, do we not wish the same ?”’ 2 Line 6 added in 1867. Pe irihetal as 8 1855 56’60, After line 17 read ‘‘ That the true adoration is likewise without words and without kneeling. ; Great is the greatest Nation—the nation of clusters of equal nations.”’
480 LEAVES OF GRASS
2
Great is the Earth, and the way it became what it is ;
Do you imagine it has stopt at this? the increase abandon’d?
Understand then that it goes as far onward from this, as this is from the times when it lay in covering waters and gases, before man had appear’d.* 20
Great is the quality of Truth in man ;
The quality of truth in man supports itself through all changes,
It is inevitably in the man—he and it are in love, and never leave each other.
The truth in man is no dictum, it is vital as eyesight ;
If there be any Soul, there is truth—if there be man or woman there is truth—if there be physical or moral, there is truth ;
If there be equilibrium or volition, there is truth—if there be things at all upon the earth, there is truth.
O truth of the earth! I am determin’d to press my way toward you ;”
Sound your voice! I scale mountains, or dive in the sea after you.
3
Great is Language—it is the mightiest of the sciences,
It is the fulness, color, form, diversity of the earth, and of men and women, and of all qualities and processes ; 30
It is greater than wealth—it is greater than buildings, ships, re- ligions, paintings, music.
Great is the English speech—what speech is so great as the English ?
Great is the English brood—what brood has so vast a destiny as the English ?
It is the mother of the brood that must rule the earth with the new rule;
The new rule shall rule as the Soul rules, and as the love, justice, equality in the Soul rule.
1 “before man had appear’d’’ added in 1860.
2 1355 756 read “O truth of the earth! O truth of things! I am determined to press my whole way toward you.’”’ 1860 ’67 read ‘‘O truth of the earth! O truth of things! I am determined to press my way toward you.”’
GATHERED LEAVES 481
Great is Law—great are the few oid' land-marks of the law, They are the same in all times, and shall not be disturb’ d.?
4 Great is Justice ! Justice is not settled by legislators and laws—it is in the Soul ; It cannot be varied by statutes, any more than love, pride, the attraction of gravity, can ; 40 It is immutable—it does not depend on majorities—majorities or what not, come at last before the same passionless and exact tribunal.
For justice are the grand natural lawyers, and perfect judges—is it? in their Souls ;
It is well assorted—they have not studied for nothing—the great includes the less ;
They rule on the highest grounds—they oversee all eras, states, administrations.
The perfect judge fears nothing—he could go front to front be- fore God ;
Before the perfect judge all shall stand back—life and death shall stand back—heaven and hell shall stand back.*
5
Great is Life, real and mystical, wherever and whoever ; Great is Death—sure as life holds all parts together, Death holds all parts together.
Has Life much purport ?—Ah, Death has the greatest purport.
1 1855 56 ’60 ’67 for ‘‘ few old”’ read ‘‘old few.”
2 1855756. After line 37 read ‘‘Great are marriage, commerce, news- papers, books, free-trade, railroads, steamers, intemational mails, telegraphs, exchanges.”” 1860 reads as above, omitting ‘‘ marriage,’
$1855 56 60 for “is it”’ read ‘it is,””
* After line 46, 1855 ’56 60 read:
‘¢Great is Goodness !
I do not know what it is, any more than I know what health is—but I know it is great.
Great is Wickedness—I find I often admire it, just as much as I admire good- ness.
Do you call that a paradox ? It certainly is a paradox.
31
482 LEAVES OF GRASS
POEM OF REMEMBRANCE FOR A GIRL OR A BOY OF THESE STATES.
First published in 1856.
You just maturing youth! You male or female !
Remember the organic compact of These States,
Remember the pledge of the Old Thirteen thenceforward to the rights, life, liberty, equality of man,
Remember what was promulged by the founders, ratified by The States, signed in black and white by the Commissioners, and read by Washington at the head of the army,
Remember the purposes of the founders,—Remember Washing- ton ;
Remember the copious humanity streaming from every direction toward America ;
Remember the hospitality that belongs to nations and men ; (Cursed be nation, woman, man, without hospitality !)
Remember, government is to subserve individuals,
Not any, not the President, is to have one jot more than you or
me, Not any habitan of America is to have one jot less than you or me. se)
Anticipate when the thirty or fifty millions, are to become the hundred, or two hundred millions, of equal freemen and freewomen, amicably joined.
Recall ages—One age is but a part—ages are but a part ;
The eternal equilibrium of things is great, and the eternal overthrow of things is great, And there is another paradox.
Great is Life, real and mystical, wherever and whoever, Great is Death—sure as Life holds all parts together, Death holds all parts together.”’ 1855 closes poem with ‘‘ Sure as the stars return again after they merge in the light, death is great as life.’ 185660 omit above line and add ; ‘¢ Death has just as much purport as Life has. Do you enjoy what Life confers? you shall enjoy what Death confers. I do not understand the realities of Death, but I know they are great ; I do not understand the least reality of Life—how then can I understand the realities of Death ?’? 1 Line 1 added in 1860.
GATHERED LEAVES 483
Recall the angers, bickerings, delusions, superstitions, of the idea of caste, Recall the bloody cruelties and crimes.
Anticipate the best women ;
I say an unnumbered new race of hardy and well-defined women are to spread through all These States,
I say a girl fit for These States must be free, capable, dauntless, just the same as a boy.
Anticipate your own life—retract with merciless power,
Shirk nothing—retract in time—Do you see those errors, dis- eases, weaknesses, lies, thefts?
Do you see that lost character ?—Do you see decay, consump- tion, rum-drinking, dropsy, fever, mortal cancer or in- flammation ? 20
Do you see death, and the approach of death?
&*
THINK OF THE SOUL.
First published in 1856. In that edition and in 1860 it is a continuation of ‘* Poem of Re- membrance,” that part being discarded in the 1870 edition.
THINK of the Soul ;
I swear to you that body of yours gives proportions to your Soul somehow to live in other spheres ;
I do not know how, but I know it is so.
Think of loving and being loved ;
I swear to you, whoever you are, you can interfuse yourself with such things that everybody that sees you shall look long- ingly upon you.