Today is Walt Whitman's Birthday

[metta]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/poetry/walt-whitman-i-sing-the-body-e.html

 

[treanir]

"I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you."

- Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass


I had to read Leaves of Grass for an American Literature course, and I fell in love with those lines.

 

[metta]

 

[jackmanor]

When I peruse the conquer'd fame of heroes and the victories of mighty generals, I do not envy the generals,
Nor the President in his Presidency, nor the rich in his great house,
But when I hear of the brotherhood of lovers, how it was with them,
How together through life, through dangers, odium, unchanging, long and long
Through youth and through middle and old age, how unfaltering, how affectionate and faithful they were,
Then I am pensive -- I hastily walk away fill`d with the bitterest envy.

--Walt Whitman.

 

[star-warrior]

"WE two boys together clinging,
One the other never leaving,
Up and down the roads going, North and South excursions making,
Power enjoying, elbows stretching, fingers clutching,
Arm'd and fearless, eating, drinking, sleeping, loving.
No law less than ourselves owning, sailing, soldiering, thieving,
threatening,
Misers, menials, priests alarming, air breathing, water drinking, on
the turf or the sea-beach dancing,
Cities wrenching, ease scorning, statutes mocking, feebleness
chasing,
Fulfilling our foray."
— Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass)

 

[star-warrior]

Wow great poetry,does anybody know how old he is?.

Walt Whitman on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Whitman

 

[star-warrior]