The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
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THERE WAS A CHILD WENT FORTH.
1THERE was a child went forth every day;
And the first object he look'd upon, that object he
became;
became;
And that object became part of him for the day, or a
certain part of the day, or for many years, or
stretching cycles of years.
certain part of the day, or for many years, or
stretching cycles of years.
2The early lilacs became part of this child,
And grass, and white and red morning-glories, and
white and red clover, and the song of the phoebe-
bird,
white and red clover, and the song of the phoebe-
bird,
And the Third-month lambs, and the sow's pink-faint
litter, and the mare's foal, and the cow's calf,
litter, and the mare's foal, and the cow's calf,
And the noisy brood of the barn-yard, or by the mire
of the pond-side,
of the pond-side,
And the fish suspending themselves so curiously below
there—and the beautiful curious liquid,
there—and the beautiful curious liquid,
And the water-plants with their graceful flat heads—all
became part of him.
became part of him.
3The field-sprouts of Fourth-month and Fifth-month
became part of him;
became part of him;
Winter-grain sprouts, and those of the light-yellow
corn, and the esculent roots of the garden,
corn, and the esculent roots of the garden,
And the apple-trees cover'd with blossoms, and the fruit
afterward, and wood-berries, and the commonest
weeds by the road;
afterward, and wood-berries, and the commonest
weeds by the road;
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And the old drunkard staggering home from the out-
house of the tavern, whence he had lately risen,
house of the tavern, whence he had lately risen,
And the school-mistress that pass'd on her way to the
school,
school,
And the friendly boys that pass'd—and the quarrelsome
boys,
boys,
And the tidy and fresh-cheek'd girls—and the barefoot
negro boy and girl,
negro boy and girl,
And all the changes of city and country, wherever he
went.
went.
4His own parents,
He that had father'd him, and she had conceiv'd
him in her womb, and birth'd him,
him in her womb, and birth'd him,
They gave this child more of themselves than that;
They gave him afterward every day—they became part
of him.
of him.
5The mother at home, quietly placing the dishes on
the supper-table;
the supper-table;
The mother with mild words—clean her cap and gown,
a wholesome odor falling off her person and
clothes as she walks by;
a wholesome odor falling off her person and
clothes as she walks by;
The father, strong, self-sufficient, manly, mean, anger'd,
unjust;
unjust;
The blow, the quick loud word, the tight bargain, the
crafty lure,
crafty lure,
The family usages, the language, the company, the fur-
niture—the yearning and swelling heart,
niture—the yearning and swelling heart,
Affection that will not be gainsay'd—the sense of what
is real—the thought if, after all, it should prove
unreal,
is real—the thought if, after all, it should prove
unreal,
The doubts of day-time and the doubts of night-time—
the curious whether and how,
the curious whether and how,
Whether that which appears so is so, or is it all flashes
and specks?
and specks?
Men and women crowding fast in the streets—if they
are not flashes and specks, what are they?
are not flashes and specks, what are they?
The streets themselves, and the façades of houses, and
goods in the windows,
goods in the windows,
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Vehicles, teams, the heavy-plank'd wharves—the huge
crossing at the ferries,
crossing at the ferries,
The village on the highland, seen from afar at sunset—
the river between,
the river between,
Shadows, aureola and mist, the light falling on roofs
and gables of white or brown, three miles off,
and gables of white or brown, three miles off,
The schooner near by, sleepily dropping down the tide
—the little boat slack-tow'd astern,
—the little boat slack-tow'd astern,
The hurrying tumbling waves, quick-broken crests,
slapping,
slapping,
The strata of color'd clouds, the long bar of maroon-
tint, away solitary by itself—the spread of purity
it lies motionless in,
tint, away solitary by itself—the spread of purity
it lies motionless in,
The horizon's edge, the flying sea-crow, the fragrance
of salt marsh and shore mud;
of salt marsh and shore mud;
These became part of that child who went forth every
day, and who now goes, and will always go forth
every day.
day, and who now goes, and will always go forth
every day.