 | Leaves of grass. |  |
13
41 Rhymes and rhymers pass
away — poems distill'd
from other
poems pass away,
The swarms of reflectors and the polite pass, and leave ashes;
Admirers, importers, obedient persons, make but the soil of literature;
America justifies itself, give it time — no disguise can deceive it, or conceal from it — it is impassive enough,
Only toward the likes of itself will it advance to meet them,
If its poets appear, it will in due time advance to meet them — there is no fear of mistake,
(The proof of a poet shall be sternly deferr'd, till his country absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorb'd it.)
42 He masters whose spirit masters — he tastes sweetest who results sweetest in the long run;
The blood of the brawn beloved of time is uncon- straint;
In the need of poems, philosophy, politics, manners, engineering, an appropriate native grand-opera, shipcraft, any craft, he or she is greatest who contributes the greatest original practical ex- ample.
43 Already a nonchalant breed, silently emerging, appears on the streets,
People's lips salute only doers, lovers, satisfiers,
positive
knowers;
There will shortly be no more priests — I say their work is done,
Death is without emergencies here, but life is per- petual emergencies here,
Are your body, days, manners, superb? after death you shall be superb;
Justice, health, self-esteem, clear the way with irre- sistible power;
How dare you place anything before a man?
The swarms of reflectors and the polite pass, and leave ashes;
Admirers, importers, obedient persons, make but the soil of literature;
America justifies itself, give it time — no disguise can deceive it, or conceal from it — it is impassive enough,
Only toward the likes of itself will it advance to meet them,
If its poets appear, it will in due time advance to meet them — there is no fear of mistake,
(The proof of a poet shall be sternly deferr'd, till his country absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorb'd it.)
42 He masters whose spirit masters — he tastes sweetest who results sweetest in the long run;
The blood of the brawn beloved of time is uncon- straint;
In the need of poems, philosophy, politics, manners, engineering, an appropriate native grand-opera, shipcraft, any craft, he or she is greatest who contributes the greatest original practical ex- ample.
43 Already a nonchalant breed, silently emerging, appears on the streets,
16c
There will shortly be no more priests — I say their work is done,
Death is without emergencies here, but life is per- petual emergencies here,
Are your body, days, manners, superb? after death you shall be superb;
Justice, health, self-esteem, clear the way with irre- sistible power;
How dare you place anything before a man?
| Leaves of grass. | |