“The poet shall not spend his time in unneeded work.”

— Walt Whitman, Preface to Leaves of Grass (1855)

About Walt Whitman

1819 – 1892

American poet and essayist who revised 'Leaves of Grass' across nearly four decades, celebrating democracy, the body and the self.

“Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)”

“Each moment and whatever happens thrills me with joy.”

“It is a beautiful truth that all men contain something of the artist in them.”

“A work of art is good if it has grown out of necessity.”

“Works of art express space as opportunity for movement and action.”

“To 'catch' a husband is an art; to 'hold' him is a job.”

“If music be the food of love, play on.”

“Beauty is the mark God sets upon virtue.”

“If eyes were made for seeing, then beauty is its own excuse for being.”