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10 Essential Poems by Walt Whitman

## Introduction

Walt Whitman, known as the "Father of American Poetry," left an indelible mark on literature with his groundbreaking body of work. His poems, known for their free verse, evocative language, and celebration of the human spirit, continue to resonate deeply with readers today. Here are 10 essential poems by Walt Whitman that every poetry lover should explore:

## 1. Song of Myself

Publication: 1855
Lines: 1,326
Theme: The celebration of individuality and the interconnectedness of all living things

"I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you."

## 2. I Sing the Body Electric

Publication: 1855
Lines: 43
Theme: The beauty and sacredness of the human body

"I sing the body electric,
The armies of those I love engirth me and I engirth them,
They will not let me off till I go with them respond to them,
And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the soul."

## 3. Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking

Publication: 1859
Lines: 188
Theme: The cycle of life and death, loss and renewal

"Out of the cradle endlessly rocking,
Out of the mocking-bird's throat, the musical shuttle,
Out of the Ninth-month midnight,
Over the sterile sands and the fields beyond, where the child leaving his bed wandered alone, bareheaded, barefoot."

## 4. Crossing Brooklyn Ferry

Publication: 1856
Lines: 87
Theme: The beauty of everyday life and the democratic potential of society

"Flood-tide below me! I see you face to face!
Clouds of the west—sun there half an hour high—I see you also face to face.
Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes, how curious you are to me!
On the ferry-boats the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home, are more curious to me than you suppose."

## 5. When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer

Publication: 1865
Lines: 28
Theme: The limitations of scientific knowledge and the importance of intuition

"When I heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars."

## 6. O Captain! My Captain!

Publication: 1865
Lines: 29
Theme: The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln

"O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead."

## 7. I Went Down to the Woods

Publication: 1891
Lines: 58
Theme: The solace and inspiration found in nature

"I went down to the woods, and wandered on in the woods,
Till I came to a clearing, where there was a stream,
And there I saw a pond,
And the pond was covered with leaves,
And the leaves were falling from the trees."

## 8. By Blue Ontario's Shore

Publication: 1883
Lines: 32
Theme: The grandeur and beauty of the American continent

"By Blue Ontario's Shore,
When winds blow wild and shivering stars abound,
I muse and dream,
And think on all the lives we lead,
The lives of heroes, and of simple folk,
The lives of those who know the pain and joy of love,
The lives of those who live in solitude."

## 9. Reconciliation

Publication: 1867
Lines: 50
Theme: The healing power of time and the unity of the nation after the Civil War

"Word over all, beautiful as the sky,
Beautiful that war and all its deeds of carnage must in time be utterly lost,
That the hands of the sisters Death and Night incessantly softly wash again, and ever again, this soil'd world;
For my enemy is dead, a man divine as myself is dead."

## 10. Cavalry Crossing a Ford

Publication: 1879
Lines: 31
Theme: The resilience and camaraderie of the American soldier

"A line in long array where they wind betwixt green islands,
They take a serpentine course, their arms flash in the sun—hark to the musical clank,
Behold the silvery river, in it the splashing horses loitering stop to drink;
Behold the brown-faced men, each group, each person a picture, the negligent rest on the saddles,
Some emerge on the opposite bank, others are just entering the ford—while, scarlet and blue, one glance at the color'd water and grass, and the sky of the troops encamp'd duskily between the high opaque clouds."

## Impact and Legacy of Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman's poetry had a profound impact on American literature and beyond. His innovative use of language, celebration of the human body, and democratic ideals inspired generations of poets and writers. His work continues to be studied, analyzed, and enjoyed by readers worldwide.

## Additional Resources on Walt Whitman