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Walt Whitman Quotes

Writer

Walt Whitman, one of America’s most influential poets, celebrated the beauty, diversity, and vitality of human life in his works. His quotes reflect his deep appreciation for individuality, nature, and the interconnectedness of all people. Together, they offer timeless inspiration to embrace life fully, honor the self, and recognize the shared spirit that unites humanity.

WE two boys together clinging,
One the other never leaving,
Up and down the roads going, North and South excursions making,
Power enjoying, elbows stretching, fingers clutching,
Arm'd and fearless, eating, drinking, sleeping, loving.
No law less than ourselves owning, sailing, soldiering, thieving,
threatening,
Misers, menials, priests alarming, air breathing, water drinking, on
the turf or the sea-beach dancing,
Cities wrenching, ease scorning, statutes mocking, feebleness
chasing,
Fulfilling our foray.
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I see great things in baseball.
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I am larger, better than I thought; I did not know I held so much goodness.

All seems beautiful to me.

Whoever denies me, it shall not trouble me;
Whoever accepts me, he or she shall be blessed, and shall bless me.
From Leaves of Grass
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I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least,
Nor do I understand who there can be more wonderful than myself.
From Song of Myself
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Some people are so much sunshine to the square inch.
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I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean
But I shall be good health to you nonetheless
And filter and fibre your blood.
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I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends.
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I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.
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Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.
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Of Equality--as if it harm'd me, giving others the same chances and rights as myself--as if it were not indispensable to my own rights that others possess the same.
From Leaves of Grass
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I like the scientific spirit—the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: this is ultimately fine—it always keeps the way beyond open—always gives life, thought, affection, the whole man, a chance to try over again after a mistake—after a wrong guess.
From Walt Whitman's Camden Conversations
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I celebrate myself, and sing myself.
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We were together. I forget the rest.
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Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.
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Pointing to another world will never stop vice among us; shedding light over this world can alone help us.
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TO the States or any one of them, or any city of the States, Resist much, obey little,
Once unquestioning obedience, once fully enslaved,
Once fully enslaved, no nation, state, city of this earth, ever after-ward resumes its liberty.
From Leaves of Grass
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A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.
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Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
What do you think has become of the young and old men?
And what do you think has become of the women and children?

They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the
end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.

All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.
From Song of Myself
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Copulation is no more foul to me than death is.
From Leaves of Grass: The First (1855) Edition
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We convince by our presence.
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Argue not concerning God,…re-examine all that you have been told at church or school or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your soul…
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O Me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;
Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.
From Leaves of Grass
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poor boy! I never knew you, Yet I think I could not refuse this moment to die for you, if that would save you
From Drum Taps
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WE two boys together clinging,
One the other never leaving,
Up and down the roads going, North and South excursions making,
Power enjoying, elbows stretching, fingers clutching,
Arm'd and fearless, eating, drinking, sleeping, loving.
No law less than ourselves owning, sailing, soldiering, thieving,
threatening,
Misers, menials, priests alarming, air breathing, water drinking, on
the turf or the sea-beach dancing,
Cities wrenching, ease scorning, statutes mocking, feebleness
chasing,
Fulfilling our foray.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I see great things in baseball.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I am larger, better than I thought; I did not know I held so much goodness.

All seems beautiful to me.

Whoever denies me, it shall not trouble me;
Whoever accepts me, he or she shall be blessed, and shall bless me.
From Leaves of Grass
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least,
Nor do I understand who there can be more wonderful than myself.
From Song of Myself
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Some people are so much sunshine to the square inch.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean
But I shall be good health to you nonetheless
And filter and fibre your blood.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Of Equality--as if it harm'd me, giving others the same chances and rights as myself--as if it were not indispensable to my own rights that others possess the same.
From Leaves of Grass
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I like the scientific spirit—the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: this is ultimately fine—it always keeps the way beyond open—always gives life, thought, affection, the whole man, a chance to try over again after a mistake—after a wrong guess.
From Walt Whitman's Camden Conversations
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I celebrate myself, and sing myself.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
We were together. I forget the rest.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Pointing to another world will never stop vice among us; shedding light over this world can alone help us.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
TO the States or any one of them, or any city of the States, Resist much, obey little,
Once unquestioning obedience, once fully enslaved,
Once fully enslaved, no nation, state, city of this earth, ever after-ward resumes its liberty.
From Leaves of Grass
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
What do you think has become of the young and old men?
And what do you think has become of the women and children?

They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the
end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.

All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.
From Song of Myself
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Copulation is no more foul to me than death is.
From Leaves of Grass: The First (1855) Edition
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
We convince by our presence.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Argue not concerning God,…re-examine all that you have been told at church or school or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your soul…
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O Me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;
Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.
From Leaves of Grass
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
poor boy! I never knew you, Yet I think I could not refuse this moment to die for you, if that would save you
From Drum Taps
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
WE two boys together clinging,
One the other never leaving,
Up and down the roads going, North and South excursions making,
Power enjoying, elbows stretching, fingers clutching,
Arm'd and fearless, eating, drinking, sleeping, loving.
No law less than ourselves owning, sailing, soldiering, thieving,
threatening,
Misers, menials, priests alarming, air breathing, water drinking, on
the turf or the sea-beach dancing,
Cities wrenching, ease scorning, statutes mocking, feebleness
chasing,
Fulfilling our foray.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I see great things in baseball.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I am larger, better than I thought; I did not know I held so much goodness.

All seems beautiful to me.

Whoever denies me, it shall not trouble me;
Whoever accepts me, he or she shall be blessed, and shall bless me.
From Leaves of Grass
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least,
Nor do I understand who there can be more wonderful than myself.
From Song of Myself
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Some people are so much sunshine to the square inch.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean
But I shall be good health to you nonetheless
And filter and fibre your blood.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Of Equality--as if it harm'd me, giving others the same chances and rights as myself--as if it were not indispensable to my own rights that others possess the same.
From Leaves of Grass
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I like the scientific spirit—the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: this is ultimately fine—it always keeps the way beyond open—always gives life, thought, affection, the whole man, a chance to try over again after a mistake—after a wrong guess.
From Walt Whitman's Camden Conversations
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
I celebrate myself, and sing myself.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
We were together. I forget the rest.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Pointing to another world will never stop vice among us; shedding light over this world can alone help us.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
TO the States or any one of them, or any city of the States, Resist much, obey little,
Once unquestioning obedience, once fully enslaved,
Once fully enslaved, no nation, state, city of this earth, ever after-ward resumes its liberty.
From Leaves of Grass
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
What do you think has become of the young and old men?
And what do you think has become of the women and children?

They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the
end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.

All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.
From Song of Myself
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Copulation is no more foul to me than death is.
From Leaves of Grass: The First (1855) Edition
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
We convince by our presence.
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
Argue not concerning God,…re-examine all that you have been told at church or school or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your soul…
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
O Me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;
Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.
From Leaves of Grass
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote
poor boy! I never knew you, Yet I think I could not refuse this moment to die for you, if that would save you
From Drum Taps
Avg Rating: --Rate This Quote