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Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

One's-Self I Sing


              1One's-Self I sing, a simple separate person,
              2Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse.

              3Of physiology from top to toe I sing,
              4Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse, I say the Form complete is worthier far,
              5The Female equally with the Male I sing.

              6Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power,
              7Cheerful, for freest action form'd under the laws divine,
              8The Modern Man I sing.

Notes

4] physiognomy: the study of how to derive character from facial features.

Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.

Original text: Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1891-92): 9. PS 3201 1891 Robarts Library.
First publication date: 1867
Publication date note: (as "Inscription")
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 1998.
Recent editing: 2:2002/2/27

Rhyme: unrhyming

Other poems by Walt Whitman

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