A Promise To California
A
PROMISE
to
California,
Also
to
the
great
Pastoral
Plains,
and
for
Oregon:
Sojourning
east
a
while
longer,
soon
I
travel
toward
you,
to
remain,
to
teach
robust
American
love;
For
I
know
very
well
that
I
and
robust
love
belong
among
you,
inland,
and
along
the
Western
Sea;
For
These
States
tend
inland,
and
toward
the
Western
Sea—and
I
will
also.
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman, (born May 31, 1819, West Hills, Long Island, New York, U.S.—died March 26, 1892, Camden, New Jersey), American poet, journalist, and essayist whose verse collection Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, is a landmark in the history of American literature. Walt Whitman’s poetry was innovative for its verse style and for the way it challenged traditional narratives. He championed the individual soul over social conventions, presenting himself as a rough and free spirit. His poetry has continued to resonate with new generations of Americans, and he is considered a symbol of American democracy.