He was born on Long Island NY in 1819, and died in 1892. Poets.org has a nice short biography and links to some of his well-know poems. He is known for Leaves of Grass but I like the following excerpt from Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking:
Once Paumanok,
When the lilac-scent was in the air and Fifth-month grass was growing,
Up this seashore in some briers,
Two feather'd guests from Alabama, two together,
And their nest, and four light-green eggs spotted with brown,
And every day the he-bird to and fro near at hand,
And every day the she-bird crouch'd on her nest, silent, with bright eyes,
And every day I, a curious boy, never too close, never disturbing them,
Cautiously peering, absorbing, translating.
Shine! shine! shine!
Pour down your warmth, great sun!
While we bask, we two together.
Two together!
Winds blow south, or winds blow north,
Day come white, or night come black,
Home, or rivers and mountains from home,
Singing all time, minding no time,
While we two keep together.
Join me and share your stamps.
Viridian
Theme next week (by suggestion): transportation: planes, trains, and automobiles.
9 comments:
I wish the sun would pour down some more warmth.
You can really appreciate the beauty and the deatail of stamps like this when they're enlarged.
I found your Whitman stamp on the internet along with a number of others including Robert Frost, T S Eliot and Emily Dickinson.
All great poets.
"When the lilac-scent was in the air and Fifth-month grass was growing,"
How perfect!
We do have the sun at the moment but it's accompanied by strong, strong, winds. I hope none of you or yours have been affected by typhoons.
Walt Whitman...I studied about him at the Uni...but unfortunately don't remember much so this is a good refreshment lesson :)
Wonderful poet, always the "curious boy".
Wonderful vintage stamp, vintage poetry. O Captain! My Captain!
Great stamp - I love Walt Whitman's spirit!
We should read more about the "creme de la creme" in poetry, etc., from USA and other countries...:)
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