Today I bring you a book that I've read a long time ago and that I've profoundly loved. It has indeed become one of my favorite books (the list is quite long now) and I'm looking like crazy for a physical copy, because I think it's the greatest book to have around at all times.
As you might have guessed by the photo, it's by Walt Whitman, and it's not Leaves of grass, no, it's the magnificent Song of myself.
I found in it an oath to existence, to the universe, to life and death and even to dust. The words reveal the significance of everything, and this may sound overdramatic, yes, a little bit, but you need this in your life and I'm about to tell you why.
So, the other day I wasn't feeling very cheerful, so I stayed in and I thought I could start reading this. At the end of the last poem, I wasn't down anymore, I felt alive, I felt full of energy. This was all because of Whitman's words, he found balance in everything around him and he wanted to share it with the rest of us and in my opinion, he quite succeeded on that matter. I'm finding a bit difficult explaining how it made me feel, so instead of pointlessly trying, I'm going to let you find out by yourselves, so here you have my favorite verses:
"The press of my foot to the earth springs a hundred affections,
They scorn the best I can do to relate them"
"I discover myself on the verge of an unusual mistake. "
"My knowledge my live parts, it keeping tally with the meaning of all things,
Happiness, (which whoever hears me let him or her set out in search of this day.)
My final merit I refuse you, I refuse putting from me what I really am,
Encompass worlds, but never try to encompass me,
I crowd your sleekest and best by simply looking toward you. "
"I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain’d,
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth. "
"I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.
Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you."
“Long have you timidly waded
Holding a plank by the shore,
Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea,
Rise again, nod to me, shout,
And laughingly dash with your hair.”
“Has any one supposed it lucky to be born?
I hasten to inform him or her it is just as lucky to die, and I know it.”
I apologize in advance if the quotes are misspelled or anything, I got them online, as I actually read the book in Spanish. I hope you like them as much as I did and I hope you get to read the whole book. Feel free to leave a comment with your opinion.
Sincerely yours,
Nerea.
