Walt Whitman

Sure as the stars return again after they merge in the light, death is great as life.

Great is death .... Sure as life holds all parts together, death holds all parts together;

Great is life .. and real and mystical .. wherever and whoever,

And there is another paradox.

The eternal equilibrium of things is great, and the eternal overthrow of things is great,

Do you call that a paradox? It certainly is a paradox.

Great is wickedness .... I find I often admire it just as much as I admire goodness:

I do not know what it is any more than I know what health is .... but I know it is great.

Great is goodness;

Before the perfect judge all shall stand back .... life and death shall stand back .... heaven and hell shall stand back.

The perfect judge fears nothing .... he could go front to front before God,

They rule on the highest grounds .... they oversee all eras and states and administrations,

It is well assorted .... they have not studied for nothing ..... the great includes the less,

For justice are the grand natural lawyers, and perfect judges .... it is in their souls,

It is immutable .. it does not depend on majorities .... majorities or what not come at last before the same passionless and exact tribunal.

It cannot be varied by statutes any more than love or pride or the attraction of gravity can,

Justice is not settled by legislators and laws .... it is in the soul,

Great is Justice;

Great are marriage, commerce, newspapers, books, freetrade, railroads, steamers, international mails and telegraphs and exchanges.

Great is the law .... Great are the old few landmarks of the law .... they are the same in all times and shall not be disturbed.

The new rule shall rule as the soul rules, and as the love and justice and equality that are in the soul rule.

It is the mother of the brood that must rule the earth with the new rule,

Great is the English brood .... What brood has so vast a destiny as the English?

Great is the English speech .... What speech is so great as the English?

It is greater than wealth .... it is greater than buildings or ships or religions or paintings or music.

It is the fulness and color and form and diversity of the earth .... and of men and women .... and of all qualities and processes;

Great is language .... it is the mightiest of the sciences,

Sound your voice! I scale mountains or dive in the sea after you.

O truth of the earth! O truth of things! I am determined to press the whole way toward you,

If there be equilibrium or volition there is truth .... if there be things at all upon the earth there is truth.