The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Periodicals
About this Item
Title: If I Should Need to Name, O Western World
Creator: Walt Whitman
Date: September 7, 1871
Whitman Archive ID: per.00010
Source: Philadelphia Press 26 October 1884: 5. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm copy of an original issue. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the periodical poems, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Elizabeth Lorang, April Lambert, and Susan Belasco
 image 1 |
If I Should Need to Name, O Western World1
———
If I should need to name, O Western World!
your powerfulest scene to-day,
your powerfulest scene to-day,
'Twould not be you, Niagara—nor you, ye
limitless prairies—nor your huge
rifts of canyons, Colorado,
limitless prairies—nor your huge
rifts of canyons, Colorado,
Nor you, Yosemitie, with all your spasmic
geyser-loops ascending to the skies, ap-
pearing and disappearing,
geyser-loops ascending to the skies, ap-
pearing and disappearing,
Nor Oregon's white cones—nor Huron's belt
of mighty lakes—nor Mississippie's stream:
of mighty lakes—nor Mississippie's stream:
This seeting hemisphere's humanity, as now,
I'd name—the still small voice preparing—
America's choosing day,
I'd name—the still small voice preparing—
America's choosing day,
(The heart of it not in the chosen—the act
itself the main, the quadriennial
choosing,)
itself the main, the quadriennial
choosing,)
The stretch of North and South arous'd—
seaboard and inland—Texas to Maine,
seaboard and inland—Texas to Maine,
The Prairie States—Vermont, Virginia, Cali-
fornia ,
fornia ,
The final ballot-shower from East to West—
the paradox and conflict,
the paradox and conflict,
The countless snow-flakes falling—(a sword-
less conflict,
less conflict,
Yet more than all Rome's wars of old,
or modern Napoleon's:)
or modern Napoleon's:)
Or good or ill humanity—welcoming the
darker odds, the dross, the scene's debris:
darker odds, the dross, the scene's debris:
—Foams and ferments the wine? It serves to
purify—while the heart pants, life glows:
purify—while the heart pants, life glows:
These stormy gusts and winds waft previous
ships,
ships,
Swell'd Washington's, Jefferson's, Lincoln's
sails.
sails.
WALT WHITMAN.
Camden, N. J., Oct. 26, 1884
Notes:
1. Reprinted as "Election Day, November, 1884" in the "Sands at Seventy" annex to Leaves of Grass (1888). [back]