Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. He is often considered one of America’s most significant poets, known for his work “Leaves of Grass” which was first published in 1855 and which he continued to revise and expand until his death. Whitman’s poetry broke conventions of his time, with his use of free verse and exploration of themes such as democracy, nature, love, and friendship. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry that depicted love and sexuality in a frank manner.
From Walt Whitman, we can learn the importance of individuality, self-expression, and the human connection to nature. His work encourages us to appreciate the beauty in the everyday and to celebrate our unique selves. He also teaches us about the value of democracy and equality, as he often wrote about these themes in his work.
Here are 27 quotes by Walt Whitman:
- “Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)”
- “I celebrate myself, and sing myself.”
- “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.”
- “The powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.”
- “Resist much, obey little.”
- “I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.”
- “Be curious, not judgmental.”
- “Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.”
- “I exist as I am, that is enough.”
- “And your very flesh shall be a great poem.”
- “I am as bad as the worst, but, thank God, I am as good as the best.”
- “The future is no more uncertain than the present.”
- “To me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle.”
- “I see great things in baseball. It’s our game – the American game.”
- “In the faces of men and women, I see God.”
- “Nothing can happen more beautiful than death.”
- “I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don’t believe I deserved my friends.”
- “The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity.”
- “I discover myself on the verge of a usual mistake.”
- “Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.”
- “I am satisfied…I see, dance, laugh, sing.”
- “The road to wisdom is paved with excess. The mark of a true writer is their ability to mystify the familiar and familiarize the strange.”
- “Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling.”
- “I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.”
- “I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.”
- “Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.”
- “Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you. You must travel it by yourself. It is not far. It is within reach. Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know. Perhaps it is everywhere – on water and land.”