Song of Matt
. . .
Sit awhile wayfarer,
Here are biscuits to eat and here is milk to drink,
But as soon as you sleep and renew yourself in sweet clothes I will certainly kiss you with my goodbye kiss and open the gate for your egress hence.
Long enough have you dreamed contemptible dreams,
Now I wash the gum from your eyes,
You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life
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, and rise again and nod to me and shout, and laughingly dash with your hair.
I am the teacher of athletes,
He that by me spreads a wider breast than my own proves the width of my own,
He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher.
. . .
“You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life.”
Wow, I think that this is the essence of a lot of what Whitman is trying to say. Although he tends to get carried away with descriptions and can on occasion seem boisterous and preachy, I think that he really just wants to inspire people to enjoy life. Today we all always seem so rushed, here we are reminded to slow down and realize that every moment is a gift, every blade of grass is something to be admired and ever person is capable of even more than they probably think that they are.