Walt Whitman

LEAVES OF GRASS
(1891-92 issue)
complete book, e-book

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12

 Are you he who would assume a place to teach or be a poet here in
 the States?
 The place is august, the terms obdurate.
 
 Who would assume to teach here may well prepare himself body and mind,
 He may well survey, ponder, arm, fortify, harden, make lithe himself,
 He shall surely be question'd beforehand by me with many and stern questions.
 
 Who are you indeed who would talk or sing to America?
 Have you studied out the land, its idioms and men?
 Have you learn'd the physiology, phrenology, politics, geography,
 pride, freedom, friendship of the land? its substratums and objects?
 Have you consider'd the organic compact of the first day of the
 first year of Independence, sign'd by the Commissioners, ratified
 by the States, and read by Washington at the head of the army?
 Have you possess'd yourself of the Federal Constitution?
 Do you see who have left all feudal processes and poems behind them,
 and assumed the poems and processes of Democracy?
 Are you faithful to things? do you teach what the land and sea, the
 bodies of men, womanhood, amativeness, heroic angers, teach?
 Have you sped through fleeting customs, popularities?
 Can you hold your hand against all seductions, follies, whirls,
 fierce contentions? are you very strong? are you really of the
 whole People?
 Are you not of some coterie? some school or mere religion?
 Are you done with reviews and criticisms of life? animating now to
 life itself?
 Have you vivified yourself from the maternity of these States?
 Have you too the old ever-fresh forbearance and impartiality?
 Do you hold the (...)
(......)