Walt Whitman: Dismiss Whatever Insults Your Own Soul

“Whatever satisfies the soul is truth.”

― Walt Whitman

This is what you shall do; 
Love the earth and sun and the animals, 
despise riches, give alms to every 
one that asks, stand up for the 
stupid and crazy, devote your income 
and labor to others, hate tyrants, 
argue not concerning God, have patience 
and indulgence toward the people, 
take off your hat to nothing known 
or unknown or to any man or 
number of men, go freely with 
powerful uneducated persons 
and with the young and with 
the mothers of families, 
read these leaves in the open air 
every season of every year of your life, 
re-examine all you have been told 
at school or church or in any book, 
dismiss whatever insults your own soul, 
and your very flesh shall be a great poem 
and have the richest fluency 
not only in its words 
but in the silent lines of its lips and face 
and between the lashes of your eyes 
and in every motion and 
joint of your body.

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