Quicksand Years

Walt Whitman 1819 (West Hills) – 1892 (Camden)




   QUICKSAND years that whirl me I know not whither,
   Your schemes, politics, fail--lines give way--substances mock and
         elude me;
   Only the theme I sing, the great and strong-possess'd Soul, eludes
         not;
   One's-self must never give way--that is the final substance--that out
         of all is sure;
   Out of politics, triumphs, battles, life--what at last finally
         remains?
   When shows break up, what but One's-Self is sure?

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 17, 2023

20 sec read
482

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDEFGCHG
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 458
Words 66
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 10

Walt Whitman

Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. more…

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