The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
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7.
I NEED no assurances—I am a man who is pre-
occupied, of his own Soul;
occupied, of his own Soul;
I do not doubt that whatever I know at a given time,
there waits for me more, which I do not know;
there waits for me more, which I do not know;
I do not doubt that from under the feet, and beside
the hands and face I am cognizant of, are now
looking faces I am not cognizant of—calm and
actual faces;
the hands and face I am cognizant of, are now
looking faces I am not cognizant of—calm and
actual faces;
I do not doubt but the majesty and beauty of the
world are latent in any iota of the world;
world are latent in any iota of the world;
I do not doubt there are realizations I have no idea of,
waiting for me through time, and through the
universes—also upon this earth;
waiting for me through time, and through the
universes—also upon this earth;
I do not doubt I am limitless, and that the universes
are limitless—in vain I try to think how
limitless;
are limitless—in vain I try to think how
limitless;
I do not doubt that the orbs, and the systems of orbs,
play their swift sports through the air on purpose
—and that I shall one day be eligible to do as
much as they, and more than they;
play their swift sports through the air on purpose
—and that I shall one day be eligible to do as
much as they, and more than they;
I do not doubt there is far more in trivialities, insects,
vulgar persons, slaves, dwarfs, weeds, rejected
refuse, than I have supposed;
vulgar persons, slaves, dwarfs, weeds, rejected
refuse, than I have supposed;
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I do not doubt there is more in myself than I have
supposed—and more in all men and women—
and more in my poems than I have supposed;
supposed—and more in all men and women—
and more in my poems than I have supposed;
I do not doubt that temporary affairs keep on and on,
millions of years;
millions of years;
I do not doubt interiors have their interiors, and
exteriors have their exteriors—and that the
eye-sight has another eye-sight, and the hearing
another hearing, and the voice another voice;
exteriors have their exteriors—and that the
eye-sight has another eye-sight, and the hearing
another hearing, and the voice another voice;
I do not doubt that the passionately-wept deaths of
young men are provided for—and that the
deaths of young women, and the deaths of little
children, are provided for;
young men are provided for—and that the
deaths of young women, and the deaths of little
children, are provided for;
I do not doubt that wrecks at sea, no matter what the
horrors of them—no matter whose wife, child,
husband, father, lover, has gone down—are pro-
vided for, to the minutest point;
horrors of them—no matter whose wife, child,
husband, father, lover, has gone down—are pro-
vided for, to the minutest point;
I do not doubt that shallowness, meanness, malig-
nance, are provided for;
nance, are provided for;
I do not doubt that cities, you, America, the re-
mainder of the earth, politics, freedom, degra-
dations, are carefully provided for;
mainder of the earth, politics, freedom, degra-
dations, are carefully provided for;
I do not doubt that whatever can possibly happen,
any where, at any time, is provided for, in the
inherences of things.
any where, at any time, is provided for, in the
inherences of things.