The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [begin page 266] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FROM PAUMANOK STARTING I FLY LIKE A BIRD.
FROM Paumanok starting, I fly like a bird,
Around and around to soar, to sing the idea of all;
To the north betaking myself, to sing there arctic
songs.
songs.
To Kanada, 'till I absorb Kanada in myself—to Michi-
gan then,
gan then,
To Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, to sing their songs,
(they are inimitable;)
(they are inimitable;)
Then to Ohio and Indiana to sing theirs—to Missouri
and Kansas and Arkansas, to sing theirs,
and Kansas and Arkansas, to sing theirs,
To Tennessee and Kentucky—to the Carolinas and
Georgia, to sing theirs,
Georgia, to sing theirs,
To Texas, and so along up toward California, to roam
accepted everywhere;
accepted everywhere;
To sing first, (to the tap of the war-drum, if need be,)
The idea of all—of the western world, one and insepa-
rable,
rable,
And then the song of each member of These States.