Quote by Walt Whitman

"Sail, sail thy best, ship of Democracy, Of value is thy freight, 'tis not the Present only, The Past is also stored in thee, Thou holdest not the venture of thyself alone, not of the Western continent alone, Earth's résumé entire floats on thy keel O ship, is steadied by thy spars, With thee Time voyages in trust, the antecedent nations sink or swim with thee"

— Walt Whitman, from Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood

1 like

More quotes by Walt Whitman

"I too announce solid things, Science, ships, politics, cities, factories, are not nothing, Like a grand procession to m…" from As I Walk These Broad Majestic Days

"A NOISELESS patient spider, I mark'd where on a little promontory it stood isolated, Mark'd how to explore the vacant v…" from A Noiseless Patient Spider

"And you O my soul where you stand, Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space, Ceaselessly musing, venturing,…" from A Noiseless Patient Spider

"WHOEVER you are, holding me now in hand, Without one thing, all will be useless; I give you fair warning, before you at…" from Whoever you are, Holding me now in Hand

"Ever the undiscouraged, resolute, struggling soul of man; (Have former armies fail'd? then we send fresh armies—and fre…" from Life

"HAST never come to thee an hour, A sudden gleam divine, precipitating, bursting all these bubbles, fashions, wealth? Th…" from Hast Never Come to Thee an Hour

"I am to wait—I do not doubt I am to meet you again, I am to see to it that I do not lose you." from To a Stranger

"Small the theme of my Chant, yet the greatest—namely, One's-SelfOne's-Self—a simple, separate person. That, for the use…" from Small the Theme of My Chant

"I feel like one who has done work for the day, to retire awhile; I receive now again of my many translations—from my av…" from So Long!

"The sun bursts through in unlooked-for directions! Strong thoughts fill you, and confidence—you smile! You forget you a…" from To One Shortly to Die

All quotes by Walt Whitman →

Read the full poem →

Read this quote by Walt Whitman from "Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood". Discover more inspiring quotes and poetry on The Poet's Place.