Poetry Living

Have the past struggles succeeded? What has succeeded? yourself? your nation? Nature? Now understand me well—it is provided that from any fruition of success, shall come forth something to make a greater struggle necessary. My call is the call of battle, I nourish active rebellion, He going with me must go well arm’d, He going with me goes often with spare diet, poverty, angry enemies, desertions. Walt Whitman

"He going with me must go well arm’d"
#WaltWhitman #SongOfTheOpenRoad #Poetry

Poetry is a life-cherishing force. For poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry.

~Mary Oliver

"Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

#Poetry #SarahWilliams #TheOldAstronomerToHisPupil

Writing against a yellowed paper. In one handwriting and dark ink, it says: "Love's Sphere Love – is anterior to Life – Posterior – to Death, Initial os Creation, and The Exponent of breath. Emily Dickinson" (The first and third dash appear to be crossed out) In a different handwriting and gray ink (or possibly pencil), it says: "Handwriting of Alice Hill"

"Love is anterior to Life —
Posterior to Death,
Initial of Creation, and
The Exponent of Breath."

#EmilyDickinson #Poetry

(Pictured: Transcription of the poem made by Alice Hill (Emily's nephew's wife), from the collection of one of Emily's editors Mabel Loomis Todd, donated to Amherst College)

Poster-style illustration with a quote on top and mountains on the bottom. The quote reads: "Battles are lost in the same spirit they are won"

"Have you heard that it was good to gain the day?
I also say it is good to fall, battles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won.

I beat and pound for the dead,
I blow through my embouchures my loudest and gayest for them"

#WaltWhitman #Poetry #SongOfMyself