Inscription

Walt Whitman 1819 (West Hills) – 1892 (Camden)



SMALL is the theme of the following Chant, yet the greatest--namely,
         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 physiognomy
         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 let us go.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 07, 2023

40 sec read
143

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXABBXACXX XCX
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 793
Words 130
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 10, 3

Walt Whitman

Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. more…

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    "Inscription" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/38047/inscription>.

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