“There is no week nor day nor hour, when tyranny may not enter upon this country, if the people lose their supreme confidence in themselves–and lose their roughness and spirit of defiance–Tyranny may always enter–there is no charm, no bar against it–the only bar against it is a large resolute breed of men.”
and women, too
“I hear America singing” by Whitman one of greatest poetic expressions of America in my opinion.
Many people feel American poetry really starts with Whitman.
This seems to this non American to describe a state of a populace being on a knife edge.
Things do not look very promising in the US right now. Actually in many parts of the world, too, including here in Turkey.
Yes. Turkey is often in our news here, even though it is so far away. It must be hard to see both your present country and your home country going through so much upheaval.
I understand what’s happening in Turkey but I just don’t understand what is happening in the US. Or maybe I should say I have a hard time believing it.
I remain in shock. I wish I could simply not believe it, but it’s in our faces here. I wonder what sort of civil disobedience my conscience will eventually force me to commit?
I just find myself signing petitions and donating money to groups like the ACLU.
In Whitman’s day, media was newspapers and theater. With all the various mediums available, the resolution of the resolute can be swayed against themselves and not know it.
There are not many Countries where there is not discord. My Country the UK divided because people voted to come out of Europe, where people like me are called racists and bullied. What is wrong with people are they not happy until they are shooting dead people, arguing on streets. Terrorists to cope with.
Give me Walt Whitman and sanity.
It wasn’t so much saner than either. Just no internet/mass communication and less knowledge of the world at large.
No but perhaps they were happier. No Terrorist shooting an Ambassador 11 times including when the man was dead on the ground. Utter, utter disgrace. Human life means nothing it seems.
Well…I’m tall-ish but resolute as hell.
Keep that resolve.
Prophetic words speaking to our time.
Speaking to all times.
Leaves of Grass is a fantastic work. It should be used in high schools.
It certainly is.