Whitman a 'poet of democracy'

One's-Self I Sing

By Walt Whitman

One's-Self I sing, a simple separate person,

Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse.

Of physiology from top to toe I sing,

Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worth for the

Muse, I say the Form complete is worthier far,

The Female equally with the Male I sing.

Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power,

Cheerful, for freest action form'd under the laws divine,

The Modern Man I sing.

This short poem, the inscription that begins Walt Whitman's epic collection of poems, "Leaves of Grass," was written in the 1850s. Written in free verse, "Leaves of Grass" celebrates everything about America, from the endless variety of landscapes, to the people and creatures that inhabit those landscapes.

For the rest of his life, Whitman would edit and revise the collection of poems, expanding it from 12 to 400 poems in its final version. We have always been a nation of optimism and "Leaves of Grass" is the quintessential celebration of the possibilities of this country.

Whitman wanted to be the voice of all Americans, from Native Americans to immigrants, from factory workers to farmers.

He was particularly ambitious in his wish to speak for every citizen, given the enormous variety of backgrounds of the individuals who comprise this country. Whitman was clear and consistent about the inclusiveness of his expression, and "Leaves of Grass" describes a multicultural nation.

He has been called this country's first "poet of democracy," and nothing embodies the essence of democracy like our right to vote.

This privilege is something that none of us should take for granted, and with the presidential election only days away, Whitman's poem is prescient in it's articulation of the collective voice that represents every one of us, no matter what our gender, skin color or ethnicity might be.

This year's nominees include a woman for vice president and an African-American for president, and this, in itself, is historically groundbreaking. In Whitman's day, neither women nor African-Americans had the right to vote, let alone possess the possibility of running for president.

This has been a long, grueling election season, and it is too easy to get caught up in the negativity of such a tight presidential race.

Instead of listening to talk radio and looking at your favorite political Web site, I suggest you read Whitman. Take "Leaves of Grass" to read while you are in line waiting to vote. (Whitman's original intention was to produce a book that would fit in your pocket.)

The poems will remind you why you are standing there in the first place. Take time to celebrate your right to vote. It is a gift.

And even if the results don't turn out as you had hoped, consider the beauty of our democracy, the system that gives each and every one of us a voice. Pay attention to the diversity of the people in line with you. This is Walt Whitman's America!

To a Certain Cantatrice

By Walt Whitman

Here, take this gift,

I am reserving it for some hero, speaker, or general,

One who should serve the good old cause, the great idea,

the progress and freedom of race,

Some brave confronter of despots, some daring rebel;

But I see that what I was reserving belongs to you just as

much as to any.

Marjory Wentworth is the South Carolina poet laureate.