He is, even more than Emerson or Thoreau, the American Scholar that Emerson called for. His greatest achievement was his ability to successfully combine the American quality individualism with democracy. Leaves of Grass is a true American epic poem. Walt Whitman begins his 1891 version of this masterpiece with the small poem, Inscriptions: One’s Self I Sing; this is beginning is interestingly different to that of the traditional of epic, which usually invokes the muse, …showed first 75 words of 1251 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1251 total…united through democracy. One's-Self I sing, a simple separate person, Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse. Of physiology from top to toe I sing, Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse, I say the Form complete is worthier far, The Female equally with the Male I sing. Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power, Cheerful, for freest action form'd under the laws divine, The Modern Man I sing.