The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
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TO THE SAYERS OF WORDS.
—————
1EARTH, round, rolling, compact —suns, moons, ani-
mals—all these are words to be said,
mals—all these are words to be said,
Watery, vegetable, sauroid advances—beings, pre-
monitions, lispings of the future,
monitions, lispings of the future,
Behold! these are vast words to be said.
2Were you thinking that those were the words—those
upright lines? those curves, angles, dots?
upright lines? those curves, angles, dots?
No, those are not the words—the substantial words
are in the ground and sea,
are in the ground and sea,
They are in the air—they are in you.
3Were you thinking that those were the words—
those delicious sounds out of your friends'
mouths?
those delicious sounds out of your friends'
mouths?
No, the real words are more delicious than they.
4Human bodies are words, myriads of words,
In the best poems re-appears the body, man's or
woman's, well-shaped, natural, gay,
woman's, well-shaped, natural, gay,
Every part able, active, receptive, without shame or
the need of shame.
the need of shame.
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5Air, soil, water, fire, these are words,
I myself am a word with them—my qualities inter-
penetrate with theirs—my name is nothing to
them,
penetrate with theirs—my name is nothing to
them,
Though it were told in the three thousand languages,
what would air, soil, water, fire, know of my
name?
what would air, soil, water, fire, know of my
name?
6A healthy presence, a friendly or commanding ges-
ture, are words, sayings, meanings,
ture, are words, sayings, meanings,
The charms that go with the mere looks of some men
and women, are sayings and meanings also.
and women, are sayings and meanings also.
7The workmanship of Souls is by the inaudible words
of the earth,
of the earth,
The great masters, the sayers, know the earth's words,
and use them more than the audible words.
and use them more than the audible words.
8Amelioration is one of the earth's words,
The earth neither lags nor hastens,
It has all attributes, growths, effects, latent in itself
from the jump,
from the jump,
It is not half beautiful only—defects and excres-
cences show just as much as perfections show.
cences show just as much as perfections show.
9The earth does not withhold, it is generous enough,
The truths of the earth continually wait, they are
not so concealed either,
not so concealed either,
They are calm, subtle, untransmissible by print,
They are imbued through all things, conveying them-
selves willingly,
selves willingly,
Conveying a sentiment and invitation of the earth—
I utter and utter,
I utter and utter,
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I speak not, yet if you hear me not, of what avail am
I to you?
I to you?
To bear—to better—lacking these, of what avail
am I?
am I?
10Accouche! Accouchez!
Will you rot your own fruit in yourself there?
Will you squat and stifle there?
11The earth does not argue,
Is not pathetic, has no arrangements,
Does not scream, haste, persuade, threaten, promise,
Makes no discriminations, has no conceivable fail-
ures,
ures,
Closes nothing, refuses nothing, shuts none out,
Of all the powers, objects, states, it notifies, shuts
none out.
none out.
12The earth does not exhibit itself, nor refuse to exhibit
itself—possesses still underneath,
itself—possesses still underneath,
Underneath the ostensible sounds, the august chorus
of heroes, the wail of slaves,
of heroes, the wail of slaves,
Persuasions of lovers, curses, gasps of the dying,
laughter of young people, accents of bargainers,
laughter of young people, accents of bargainers,
Underneath these, possessing the words that never
fail.
fail.
13To her children, the words of the eloquent dumb
great mother never fail,
great mother never fail,
The true words do not fail, for motion does not fail,
and reflection does not fail,
and reflection does not fail,
Also the day and night do not fail, and the voyage
we pursue does not fail.
we pursue does not fail.
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14Of the interminable sisters,
Of the ceaseless cotillions of sisters,
Of the centripetal and centrifugal sisters, the elder
and younger sisters,
and younger sisters,
The beautiful sister we know dances on with the rest.
15With her ample back toward every beholder,
With the fascinations of youth, and the equal fascina-
tions of age,
tions of age,
Sits she whom I too love like the rest—sits undis-
turbed,
turbed,
Holding up in her hand what has the character of a
mirror, while her eyes glance back from it,
mirror, while her eyes glance back from it,
Glance as she sits, inviting none, denying none,
Holding a mirror day and night tirelessly before her
own face.
own face.
16Seen at hand, or seen at a distance,
Duly the twenty-four appear in public every day,
Duly approach and pass with their companions, or
a companion,
a companion,
Looking from no countenances of their own, but from
the countenances of those who are with them,
the countenances of those who are with them,
From the countenances of children or women, or the
manly countenance,
manly countenance,
From the open countenances of animals, or from
inanimate things,
inanimate things,
From the landscape or waters, or from the exquisite
apparition of the sky,
apparition of the sky,
From our countenances, mine and yours, faithfully
returning them,
returning them,
Every day in public appearing without fail, but never
twice with the same companions.
twice with the same companions.
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17Embracing man, embracing all, proceed the three
hundred and sixty-five resistlessly round the sun,
hundred and sixty-five resistlessly round the sun,
Embracing all, soothing, supporting, follow close three
hundred and sixty-five offsets of the first, sure
and necessary as they.
hundred and sixty-five offsets of the first, sure
and necessary as they.
18Tumbling on steadily, nothing dreading,
Sunshine, storm, cold, heat, forever withstanding,
passing, carrying,
passing, carrying,
The Soul's realization and determination still inherit-
ing,
ing,
The fluid vacuum around and ahead still entering
and dividing,
and dividing,
No balk retarding, no anchor anchoring, on no rock
striking,
striking,
Swift, glad, content, unbereaved, nothing losing,
Of all able and ready at any time to give strict
account,
account,
The divine ship sails the divine sea.
19Whoever you are! motion and reflection are espe-
cially for you,
cially for you,
The divine ship sails the divine sea for you.
20Whoever you are! you are he or she for whom the
earth is solid and liquid,
earth is solid and liquid,
You are he or she for whom the sun and moon hang
in the sky,
in the sky,
For none more than you are the present and the past,
For none more than you is immortality.
21Each man to himself, and each woman to herself, is
the word of the past and present, and the word
of immortality,
the word of the past and present, and the word
of immortality,
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No one can acquire for another—not one!
Not one can grow for another—not one!
22The song is to the singer, and comes back most to
him,
him,
The teaching is to the teacher, and comes back most
to him,
to him,
The murder is to the murderer, and comes back most
to him,
to him,
The theft is to the thief, and comes back most to him,
The love is to the lover, and comes back most to him,
The gift is to the giver, and comes back most to him
—it cannot fail,
—it cannot fail,
The oration is to the orator, and the acting is to the
actor and actress, not to the audience,
actor and actress, not to the audience,
And no man understands any greatness or goodness
but his own, or the indication of his own.
but his own, or the indication of his own.
23I swear the earth shall surely be complete to him or
her who shall be complete!
her who shall be complete!
I swear the earth remains broken and jagged only to
him or her who remains broken and jagged!
him or her who remains broken and jagged!
24I swear there is no greatness or power that does not
emulate those of the earth!
emulate those of the earth!
I swear there can be no theory of any account, unless
it corroborate the theory of the earth!
it corroborate the theory of the earth!
No politics, art, religion, behavior, or what not, is of
account, unless it compare with the amplitude of
the earth,
account, unless it compare with the amplitude of
the earth,
Unless it face the exactness, vitality, impartiality,
rectitude of the earth.
rectitude of the earth.
25I swear I begin to see love with sweeter spasms than
that which responds love!
that which responds love!
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It is that which contains itself, which never invites
and never refuses.
and never refuses.
26I swear I begin to see little or nothing in audible
words!
words!
I swear I think all merges toward the presentation of
the unspoken meanings of the earth!
the unspoken meanings of the earth!
Toward him who sings the songs of the body, and of
the truths of the earth,
the truths of the earth,
Toward him who makes the dictionaries of the words
that print cannot touch.
that print cannot touch.
27I swear I see what is better than to tell the best,
It is always to leave the best untold.
28When I undertake to tell the best, I find I cannot,
My tongue is ineffectual on its pivots,
My breath will not be obedient to its organs,
I become a dumb man.
29The best of the earth cannot be told anyhow—all or
any is best,
any is best,
It is not what you anticipated—it is cheaper, easier,
nearer,
nearer,
Things are not dismissed from the places they held
before,
before,
The earth is just as positive and direct as it was
before,
before,
Facts, religions, improvements, politics, trades, are as
real as before,
real as before,
But the Soul is also real,—it too is positive and
direct,
direct,
No reasoning, no proof has established it,
Undeniable growth has established it.
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30This is a poem for the sayers of words—these are
hints of meanings,
hints of meanings,
These are they that echo the tones of Souls, and the
phrases of Souls;
phrases of Souls;
If they did not echo the phrases of Souls, what were
they then?
they then?
If they had not reference to you in especial, what were
they then?
they then?
31I swear I will never henceforth have to do with the
faith that tells the best!
faith that tells the best!
I will have to do with that faith only that leaves the
best untold.
best untold.
32Say on, sayers!
Delve! mould! pile the words of the earth!
Work on—it is materials you bring, not breaths;
Work on, age after age! nothing is to be lost,
It may have to wait long, but it will certainly come
in use,
in use,
When the materials are all prepared, the architects
shall appear.
shall appear.
33I swear to you the architects shall appear without fail!
I announce them and lead them,
I announce them and lead them,
I swear to you they will understand you and justify
you,
you,
I swear to you the greatest among them shall be he
who best knows you, and encloses all, and is
faithful to all,
who best knows you, and encloses all, and is
faithful to all,
I swear to you, he and the rest shall not forget you
—they shall perceive that you are not an iota
less than they,
—they shall perceive that you are not an iota
less than they,
I swear to you, you shall be glorified in them.