In Former Songs. by Walt Whitman: Full Text of the Poem

In Former Songs.

by Walt Whitman

19th-Century American · Short · 13 lineslovemortality

1 IN former songs Pride have I sung, and Love, and passionate, joyful Life, But here I twine the strands of Patriotism and Death. And now, Life, Pride, Love, Patriotism and Death, To you, O FREEDOM, purport of all! (You that elude me most—refusing to be caught in songs of mine,) I offer all to you. 2 ’Tis not for nothing, Death, I sound out you, and words of you, with daring tone—embodying you, In my new Democratic chants—keeping you for a close, For last impregnable retreat—a citadel and tower, For my last stand—my pealing, final cry.

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Public domain. Source: PoetryDB. Reproduced verbatim; see theanthology for the full collection.

Poems like In Former Songs.

Matched by documented rules, not taste: two points for every theme tag a poem shares with In Former Songs., one point for the same era, one for a similar length.

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