This sea I am quickly to sail, 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, Shall I 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?

I WILL TAKE AN EGG OUT OF THE ROBIN'S NEST.

Published as part of "Debris" in 1860

I WILL 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 herself,

Nature and the Soul expressed-America and freedom expressed -In 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 effective 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 greatestnamely, One's-Self-that wondrous thing a simple, separate person. That, for the use of the New World, I sing.

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 speak the word of the
modern, the word En-Masse :

My Days I sing, and the Lands—with interstice I knew of hapless 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 u
let us go.

Chilo

final

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."
In 1860 as No. 2 Leaves of Grass," page 199. 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.

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, fascination!

Do you know that Old Age may come after you, with equal grace, force, fascination?

ΙΟ

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 love;

(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 :

3

"Yours is the muscle of life or death-yours is the perfect science-in you I 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.

3

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."

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.'

Great is the quality of Truth in man;

20

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, religions, 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.

* 1855 '56 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! truth of things! I am determined to press my way toward you."