Page:Leaves of Grass (1860).djvu/338

5.Air, soil, water, fire, these are words,
I myself am a word with them—my qualities interpenetrate
with theirs—my name is nothing to
them,
Though it were told in the three thousand languages,
what would air, soil, water, fire, know of my
name?

6.A healthy presence, a friendly or commanding gesture,
are words, sayings, meanings,
The charms that go with the mere looks of some men
and women, are sayings and meanings also.

7.The workmanship of Souls is by the inaudible words
of the earth,
The great masters, the sayers, know the earth's words,
and use them more than the audible words.

8.Amelioration is one of the earth's words,
The earth neither lags nor hastens,
It has all attributes, growths, effects, latent in itself
from the jump,
It is not half beautiful only—defects and excrescences
show just as much as perfections show.

9.The earth does not withhold, it is generous enough,
The truths of the earth continually wait, they are
not so concealed either,
They are calm, subtle, untransmissible by print,
They are imbued through all things, conveying themselves
willingly,
Conveying a sentiment and invitation of the earth—
I utter and utter,