Walt Whitman Quotes

369 Sourced Quotes

Only themselves understand themselves and the like of themselves, As souls only understand souls.

Walt Whitman
Darest thou now O soul,
Walk out with me toward the unknown region,
Where neither ground is for the feet nor any path to follow?

Walt Whitman
Long and long has the grass been growing,
Long and long has the rain been falling,
Long has the globe been rolling round.

Walt Whitman
A child said 'What is the grass?' fetching it to me with full hands; How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he. I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.

Walt Whitman
Swiftly arose and spread around me the peace and knowledge that pass all the argument of the earth, And I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own, And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own, And that all the men ever born are also my brothers, and the women my sisters and lovers, And that a kelson of the creation is love.

Walt Whitman
I find no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones.

Walt Whitman
Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes.

Walt Whitman
Each belongs here or anywhere as much as the well off…just as much as you or I. Each has his or her place in the procession.

Walt Whitman
I like the scientific spirit-the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: this is ultimately fine-it always keeps the way beyond open.

Walt Whitman
I announce the great individual, fluid as Nature, chaste, affectionate, compassionate, fully armed;
I announce a life that shall be copious, vehement, spiritual, bold,
And I announce an end that shall lightly and joyfully meet its translation.

Walt Whitman
A great city is that which has the greatest men and women, If it be a few ragged huts it is still the greatest city in the whole world.

Walt Whitman
Storming, enjoying, planning, loving, cautioning, Backing and filling, appearing and disappearing, I tread day and night such roads.

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.

Walt Whitman
Speech is the twin of my vision, it is unequal to measure itself, it provokes me forever, it says sarcastically, Walt you contain enough, why don't you let it out then?

Walt Whitman
Dark mother always gliding near with soft feet, Have none chanted for thee a chant of fullest welcome?

Walt Whitman
Through the ample open door of the peaceful country barn, A sun-lit pasture field, with cattle and horses feeding; And haze, and vista, and the far horizon, fading away.

Walt Whitman
A perfect writer would make words sing, dance, kiss, do the male and female act, bear children, weep, bleed, rage, stab, steal, fire cannon, steer ships, sack cities, charge with cavalry or infantry, or do anything that man or woman or the natural powers can do.

Walt Whitman
Do you see O my brothers and sisters? It is not chaos or death, it is form, union, plan, it is eternal life, it is happiness.

Walt Whitman
This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God.

Walt Whitman
I will You, in all, Myself, with promise to never desert you, To which I sign my name.

Walt Whitman
The horizon's edge, the flying sea-crow, the fragrance of salt marsh and shore mud, These became part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day.

Walt Whitman
Europe's old dynastic slaughterhouse (Area of murder-plots of thrones, with scent yet left of wars and scaffolds everywhere).

Walt Whitman
Exact science and its practical movements are no checks on the greatest poet, but always his encouragement and support... The sailor and traveller, the anatomist, chemist, astronomer, geologist, phrenologist, spiritualist, mathematician, historian and lexicographer are not poets, but they are the lawgivers of poets and their construction underlies the structure of every perfect poem.

Walt Whitman
The dirtiest book in all the world is the expurgated book.

Walt Whitman
I see the President almost every day. I see very plainly Abraham Lincoln's dark brown face with its deep-cut lines, the eyes always to me with a deep latent sadness in the expression. None of the artists or pictures has caught the deep, though subtle and indirect expression of this man's face. There is something else there. One of the great portrait painters of two or three centuries ago is needed.

Walt Whitman
Where the populace rise at once against the never-ending audacity of elected persons.

Walt Whitman
I act as the tongue of you,... tied in your mouth.... in mine it begins to be loosened.

Walt Whitman
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear.

Walt Whitman
The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem.

Walt Whitman
What beauty there is in words; what a lurking curious charm in the sound some words.

Walt Whitman