53.Have the past struggles succeeded?
What has succeeded? Yourself? Your nation?
Nature?
Now understand me well—It is provided in the
essence of things, that from any fruition of success,
no matter what, shall come forth something
to make a greater struggle necessary.
54.My call is the call of battle—I nourish active
rebellion,
He going with me must go well armed.
He going with me goes often with spare diet, poverty,
angry enemies, desertions.
55.Allons! The road is before us!
It is safe—I have tried it—my own feet have tried
it well.
56.Allons! Be not detained!
Let the paper remain on the desk unwritten, and the
book on the shelf unopened!
Let the tools remain in the workshop! let the money
remain unearned!
Let the school stand! mind not the cry of the teacher!
Let the preacher preach in his pulpit! let the lawyer
plead in the court, and the judge expound the
law.
57.Mon enfant! I give you my hand!
I give you my love, more precious than money,
I give you myself, before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself? Will you come travel
with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?
Page:Leaves of Grass (1860).djvu/336
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
This page has been validated.
328
Leaves of Grass.