His message to men, to the delivery of
which he devoted his life, which has been dearer in his eyes (for man's
sake) than wife, children, life itself, is unread, or scoffed and jeered
at. What shall he say to God? He says that God knows him through and
through, and that he is willing to leave himself in God's hands."
But above and beyond all this, is the sense of oneness with all who suffer
which is ever a heritage of the cosmic conscious one, even while he is, at
the same time, the recipient of states of bliss and certainty of
immortality, and melting soul-love, incomprehensible and indescribable to
the non-initiate. Whitman's calm and poise was not that of the
ice-encrusted egotist. It is the poise of the perfectly balanced man-god
equally aware of his human and his divine attributes; and justly estimating
both; nor drawing too fine a line between.
"I embody all presence outlawed or suffering;
See myself in prison, shaped like another man,
And feel the dull unintermitted pain.
* * * * *
"For me the keepers of convicts shoulder their carbines and keep watch;
It is I left out in the morning, and barr'd at night.
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