“Song of the Open Road” (10 of 15) by Walt Whitman [w/ Audio]

Allons! the inducements shall be greater,
We will sail pathless and wild seas,
We will go where winds blow, waves dash,
and the Yankee clipper speeds by under
full sail.

Allons! with power, liberty, the earth, the
elements,
Health, defiance, gayety, self-esteem,
curiosity;
Allons! from all formules!
From your formules, O bat-eyed and
materialistic priests.

The stale cadaver blocks up the passage--
the burial waits no longer.

Allons! yet take warning!
He traveling with me needs the best blood,
thews, endurance,
None may come to the trial till he or she
bring courage and health,
Come not here if you have already spent the
best of yourself,
Only those may come who come in sweet
and determin'd bodies,
No diseas'd person, no rum-drinker or
venereal taint is permitted here.

(I and mine do not convince by arguments,
similes, rhymes,
We convince by our presence.)

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.