Lyric Poem · Nature
On Journeys Through The States
by Walt Whitman
1ON journeys through the States we start,
2(Ay, through the world—urged by these songs,
3Sailing henceforth to every land—to every sea;)
4We, willing learners of all, teachers of all, and lovers of all.
5We have watch’d the seasons dispensing themselves, and passing on,
6We have said, Why should not a man or woman do as much as the seasons, and effuse as much?
7We dwell a while in every city and town;
8We pass through Kanada, the north-east, the vast valley of the Mississippi, and the
9 Southern
10 States;
11We confer on equal terms with each of The States,
12We make trial of ourselves, and invite men and women to hear;
13We say to ourselves, Remember, fear not, be candid, promulge the body and the Soul;
14Dwell a while and pass on—Be copious, temperate, chaste, magnetic,
15And what you effuse may then return as the seasons return,
16And may be just as much as the seasons.
Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.
“On Journeys Through The States” by Walt Whitman — quilloak.com/poems/on-journeys-through-the-states
Quick facts
- Poem
- On Journeys Through The States
- Poet
- Walt Whitman
- Length
- 16 lines
- Form
- Lyric Poem
- Themes
- Nature, Peace
Craft notes
How this poem works
Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.
- Shape
- 16 lines · 3 stanzas of 2–10 lines
- End rhyme
- No regular perfect end rhyme. The poem may still be using slant rhyme, assonance, or internal echo, which this check does not score.
Want the rules this form is measured against? Read what makes a lyric poem, or run your own draft through the form checker to see the same measurements on your lines. How we measure · Report a mistake
Text, source & rights
A traceable edition
Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.
- Author record
- Walt Whitman1819–1892
- Source record
- PoetryDBOn Journeys Through The States by walt-whitman, PoetryDB transcription
- Display decision
- Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
- Publication record
- Not recorded in the imported source
- Text fingerprint
- SHA-256 ae081336647db352…
- Editorial handling
- Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.