The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
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To ORATISTS.
1TOORATISTS—to male or female,
Vocalism, measure, concentration, determination, and
the divine power to use words.
the divine power to use words.
2Are you full-lung'd and limber-lipp'd from long trial?
from vigorous practice? from physique?
from vigorous practice? from physique?
Do you move in these broad lands as broad as they?
Come duly to the divine power to use words?
3For only at last, after many years—after chastity,
friendship, procreation, prudence, and nakedness;
friendship, procreation, prudence, and nakedness;
After treading ground and breasting river and lake;
After a loosen'd throat—after absorbing eras, tempera-
ments, races—after knowledge, freedom, crimes;
ments, races—after knowledge, freedom, crimes;
After complete faith—after clarifyings, elevations, and
removing obstructions;
removing obstructions;
After these, and more, it is just possible there comes to
a man, a woman, the divine power to use words.
a man, a woman, the divine power to use words.
4Then toward that man or that woman, swiftly hasten
all—None refuse, all attend;
all—None refuse, all attend;
Armies, ships, antiquities, the dead, libraries, paintings,
machines, cities, hate, despair, amity, pain, theft,
murder, aspiration, form in close ranks;
machines, cities, hate, despair, amity, pain, theft,
murder, aspiration, form in close ranks;
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They debouch as they are wanted to march obediently
through the mouth of that man, or that woman.
through the mouth of that man, or that woman.
5….O I see arise orators fit for inland America;
And I see it is as slow to become an orator as to be-
come a man;
come a man;
And I see that all power is folded in a great vocalism.
6Of a great vocalism, the merciless light thereof shall
pour, and the storm rage,
pour, and the storm rage,
Every flash shall be a revelation, an insult,
The glaring flame on depths, on heights, on suns, on
stars,
stars,
On the interior and exterior of man and woman,
On the laws of Nature—on passive materials,
On what you called death—(and what to you therefore
was death,
was death,
As far as there can be death.)