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Poem by Walt Whitman


Leaves of Grass. 20. By the Roadside. 29. To The States [To Identify the 16th, 17th, or 18th Presidentiad]


Why reclining, interrogating? why myself and all drowsing?
What deepening twilight-scum floating atop of the waters,
Who are they as bats and night-dogs askant in the capitol?
What a filthy Presidentiad! (O South, your torrid suns! O North,
      your arctic freezings!)
Are those really Congressmen? are those the great Judges? is that
      the President?
Then I will sleep awhile yet, for I see that these States sleep, for
      reasons;
(With gathering murk, with muttering thunder and lambent shoots we
      all duly awake,
South, North, East, West, inland and seaboard, we will surely awake.)



Walt Whitman


Walt Whitman's other poems:
  1. Leaves of Grass. 34. Sands at Seventy. 28. Old Salt Kossabone
  2. Leaves of Grass. 20. By the Roadside. 21. Visor'd
  3. Leaves of Grass. 33. Songs of Parting. 1. As the Time Draws Nigh
  4. Leaves of Grass. 30. Whispers of Heavenly Death. 16. The Last Invocation
  5. Leaves of Grass. 35. Good-Bye My Fancy. 29. Grand Is the Seen


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