The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
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13.
1LAWS for Creations,
For strong artists and leaders—for fresh broods of
teachers, and perfect literats for America,
teachers, and perfect literats for America,
For diverse savans, and coming musicians.
2There shall be no subject but it shall be treated with
reference to the ensemble of the world, and the
compact truth of the world—And no coward or
copyist shall be allowed;
reference to the ensemble of the world, and the
compact truth of the world—And no coward or
copyist shall be allowed;
There shall be no subject too pronounced—All works
shall illustrate the divine law of indirections;
shall illustrate the divine law of indirections;
There they stand—I see them already, each poised
and in its place,
and in its place,
Statements, models, censuses, poems, dictionaries,
biographies, essays, theories—How complete!
How relative and interfused! No one super-
sedes another;
biographies, essays, theories—How complete!
How relative and interfused! No one super-
sedes another;
They do not seem to me like the old specimens,
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They seem to me like Nature at last, (America has
given birth to them, and I have also;)
given birth to them, and I have also;)
They seem to me at last as perfect as the animals,
and as the rocks and weeds—fitted to them,
and as the rocks and weeds—fitted to them,
Fitted to the sky, to float with floating clouds—to
rustle among the trees with rustling leaves,
rustle among the trees with rustling leaves,
To stretch with stretched and level waters, where
ships silently sail in the distance.
ships silently sail in the distance.
3What do you suppose Creation is?
What do you suppose will satisfy the Soul, except to
walk free and own no superior?
walk free and own no superior?
What do you suppose I have intimated to you in a
hundred ways, but that man or woman is as good
as God?
hundred ways, but that man or woman is as good
as God?
And that there is no God any more divine than
Yourself?
Yourself?
And that that is what the oldest and newest myths
finally mean?
finally mean?
And that you or any one must approach Creations
through such laws?
through such laws?