The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [begin page 259] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I was Looking a Long While.
I WAS looking a long while for a clue to the history of
the past for myself, and for these chants—and
now I have found it;
the past for myself, and for these chants—and
now I have found it;
It is not in those paged fables in the libraries, (them I
neither accept nor reject;)
neither accept nor reject;)
It is no more in the legends than in all else;
It is in the present—it is this earth to-day;
It is in Democracy—(the purport and aim of all the
past;)
past;)
It is the life of one man or one woman to-day—the av-
erage man of to-day;
erage man of to-day;
It is in languages, social customs, literatures, arts;
It is in the broad show of artificial things, ships, ma-
chinery, politics, creeds, modern improvements,
and the interchange of nations,
chinery, politics, creeds, modern improvements,
and the interchange of nations,
All for the average man of to-day.