Reasons to love Walt Whitman

[maristu]

Just finished reading "Leaves of Grass" for the first time. It's a tough read, and a big part of it I didn't like much. But he does have to ability of putting into words so much I've felt...

"Apart from the pulling and hauling stands what I am,
Stands amused, complacent, compassionating, idle, unitary,
Looks down, is erect, bends an arm on an impalpable certain rest,
Looks with its sidecurved head curious at what will come next,
Both in and out of the game, and watching and wondering at it."

"All goes onward and outward... and nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what anyone supposed, and luckier."

"Do I contradict myself?
Very well... I contradict myself;
I am large... I contain multitudes."

And my personal favorite:

"I too am not a bit tame... I too am untranslatable;
I sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world."

I wanted to make a series of LJ icons with quotes by Walt Whitman, but they're too long... How much text fits comfortably into a 100x100 square?

Comments

[kstanley.livejournal.com]

The beauty of "Leaves of Grass" is that you get more out of it each time you read it. It's a book at you will enjoy 50 years from now.

My favorite poem is "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry", where Whitman reaches out to future generations: "Just as you stand and lean on the rail, yet hurry with the swift current, I stood, yet was hurried;" and "Who knows but I am as good as looking at you now, for all you cannot see me?"

[poisoninjest.livejournal.com]

I wanted to make a series of LJ icons with quotes by Walt Whitman, but they're too long... How much text fits comfortably into a 100x100 square?

I've done poetry (http://ficbitch.com/pretty/icons/btvs/theme/poetry) and Shakespeare (http://ficbitch.com/pretty/icons/btvs/theme/shakespeare) icon series that are pretty text-heavy; a glance at them might give you an idea of how much text fits on an icon. :o)