Are You The New Person, Drawn Toward Me?
ARE
you
the
new
person
drawn
toward
me?
To
begin
with,
take
warning—I
am
surely
far
different
from
what
you
suppose;
Do
you
suppose
you
will
find
in
me
your
ideal?
Do
you
think
it
so
easy
to
have
me
become
your
lover?
Do
you
think
the
friendship
of
me
would
be
unalloy'd
satisfaction?
Do
you
think
I
am
trusty
and
faithful?
Do
you
see
no
further
than
this
façade—this
smooth
and
tolerant
manner
of
me?
Do
you
suppose
yourself
advancing
on
real
ground
toward
a
real
heroic
man?
Have
you
no
thought,
O
dreamer,
that
it
may
be
all
maya,
illusion?
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman, (born May 31, 1819, West Hills, Long Island, New York, U.S.—died March 26, 1892, Camden, New Jersey), American poet, journalist, and essayist whose verse collection Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, is a landmark in the history of American literature. Walt Whitman’s poetry was innovative for its verse style and for the way it challenged traditional narratives. He championed the individual soul over social conventions, presenting himself as a rough and free spirit. His poetry has continued to resonate with new generations of Americans, and he is considered a symbol of American democracy.