Born on May 31, 1819, Walt Whitman was the second son of Walter Whitman, a
housebuilder, and Louisa Van Velsor. The family, which consisted of nine
children, lived in Brooklyn and Long... More >
This is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless,
Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson
done,
Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the
themes thou lovest best,
Night, sleep, death and the stars.