220. Singer in the Prison, The

First published in 1870.

221. Warble for Lilac-Time

First published in 1870.

222. Who Learns My Lesson Complete?

First published in 1855.

  l. 21  1855 ’56 begin line 21 “And how I was not palpable once but am now—and was born on the last day of May 1819 and passed from a babe in the creeping trance of three summers and three winters to articulate,” etc.



  1860 reads as above with change “and was born on the last day of the Fifth Month, in the year 43 of America.”

  After line 21, 1855 adds “And that I grew six feet high—and that I have become a man thirty-six years old in 1855—and that I am here anyhow—are all equally wonderful.”



  1860 ’67 read as above with change “thirty-six years old in the year 79 of America.”

  l. 26  1855 ’56 add “Come! I should like to hear you tell me what there is in yourself that is not just as wonderful, and I should like to hear the name of anything between Sunday morning and Saturday night that is not just as wonderful.”



  1860 reads as above with change “First Day morning and Seventh Day night.”

223. Thought

First published in 1860. Part of “Thought 4” in that and edition of 1867.

224. Myself and Mine

First published in 1860.

  l. 1  1860 for line 1 reads “It is ended—I dally no more, after to-day I inure myself to run, leap, swim, wrestle, fight.”

  l. v  After line 25, 1860 reads

“Let others deny the evil their enemies charge against them—but how can I the like?
Nothing ever has been, or ever can be, charged against me, half as bad as the evil I really am.”

  l. 32  1860 adds “a gymnast.”

225. To Old Age

First published in 1860.

226. Miracles

First published in 1856 under title of “Poem of Perfect Miracles.”

  1856 begins poem

“Realism is mine, my miracles
Take all of the rest—take freely—I keep but my own—I give only of them,
I offer them without end—I offer them to you wherever your feet can carry you, or your eyes reach.”

  1860 ’67 read

“What shall I give? and which are my miracles?
Realism is mine—my miracles—Take freely,
Take without end, I offer them to you,” etc., as in 1855.

227. Sparkles from The Wheel

First published in 1870.

227. Excelsior

First published in 1867 under title of “Poem of the Heart of The Son of Manhattan Island.”

  l. 1  1856 ’60 ’67 read “Who had gone farthest? For I swear I will go farther.”

  l. 10  1856 ’60 ’67. For “Have I not outlived him?” etc., read “By God! I will outvie him! I will say such words they shall stretch through longer time!”

  l. 11  After line 11, 1856 ’60 ’67 add “And to whom has been given the sweetest from women and paid them in kind? For I will take the like sweets, and pay them in kind.”

229. Mediums

First published in 1860.

  l. 1  1860 adds “—mediums shall.”

  l. 7  1860 reads “to become oratists,” etc.