Lyric Poem · Nature

On Journeys Through The States

by Walt Whitman

ON journeys through the States we start,

(Ay, through the world—urged by these songs,

Sailing henceforth to every land—to every sea;)

We, willing learners of all, teachers of all, and lovers of all.

We have watch’d the seasons dispensing themselves, and passing on,

We have said, Why should not a man or woman do as much as the seasons, and effuse as much?

We dwell a while in every city and town;

We pass through Kanada, the north-east, the vast valley of the Mississippi, and the

Southern

States;

We confer on equal terms with each of The States,

We make trial of ourselves, and invite men and women to hear;

We say to ourselves, Remember, fear not, be candid, promulge the body and the Soul;

Dwell a while and pass on—Be copious, temperate, chaste, magnetic,

And what you effuse may then return as the seasons return,

And may be just as much as the seasons.

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“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.

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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.