Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892. Leaves of Grass Annexes: Sands at Seventy (1st Annex, 1888); Good-Bye My Fancy (2nd Annex, 1891); A Backward Glance O'er Travel'd Roads (1888)
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WHEN THE FULL-GROWN POET CAME.
WHEN the full-grown poet came,
Out spake pleased Nature (the round impassive globe, with all
its shows of day and night,) saying, He is mine;
But out spake too the Soul of man, proud, jealous and unrec-
onciled, Nay, he is mine alone;
-- Then the full-grown poet stood between the two, and took
each by the hand;
And to-day and ever so stands, as blender, uniter, tightly hold-
ing hands,
Which he will never release until he reconciles the two,
And wholly and joyously blends them.
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