Song of My Beard  (with apologies to the original Whitman poem!) 1. I celebrate my beard, and sing my beard,And what I grow you shall growFor every follicle belonging to me as good as belongs to you. I loafe and stroke my beardI lean and stroke my beard at my ease observing the other bushy mustaches. My hair, every follicle of my face, form’d this beard, this ’stacheGrown here of my hair grown from hairs thesame, and their hairs the same,I , now ageless forever in photographs begin,Hoping to inspire more beard growing. ******* Walt Whitman spent many months with wounded soldiers in the hospitals of Washington, DC, while one of his brothers fought in numerous battles.  Walt and his family were prolific letter writers. You can read more about his correspondence and experiences in the Civil War in this new Author on the Record interview with Robert Roper in the Summer 2010 issue of Prologue. Whitman also worked as a clerk in the attorney general’s office during the Civil War. Recently, a researcher discovered over 3,000 documents in Whitman’s handwriting from his time as a civil servant in the holdings of the National Archives. You can read more about this fascinating discovery “Whitman, Walt, Clerk” in the Winter issue of Prologue magazine. [This post originally appeared as a “Facial Hair Friday” post on the Pieces of History blog. We’re reposting in honor of Walt’s birthday today!]
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Song of My Beard 

(with apologies to the original Whitman poem!)

1.

I celebrate my beard, and sing my beard,
And what I grow you shall grow
For every follicle belonging to me as good as belongs to you.

I loafe and stroke my beard
I lean and stroke my beard at my ease observing the other bushy mustaches.

My hair, every follicle of my face, form’d this beard, this ’stache
Grown here of my hair grown from hairs the
same, and their hairs the same,
I , now ageless forever in photographs begin,
Hoping to inspire more beard growing.

*******

Walt Whitman spent many months with wounded soldiers in the hospitals of Washington, DC, while one of his brothers fought in numerous battles.  Walt and his family were prolific letter writers. You can read more about his correspondence and experiences in the Civil War in this new Author on the Record interview with Robert Roper in the Summer 2010 issue of Prologue.

Whitman also worked as a clerk in the attorney general’s office during the Civil War. Recently, a researcher discovered over 3,000 documents in Whitman’s handwriting from his time as a civil servant in the holdings of the National Archives. You can read more about this fascinating discovery “Whitman, Walt, Clerk” in the Winter issue of Prologue magazine.

[This post originally appeared as a “Facial Hair Friday” post on the Pieces of History blog. We’re reposting in honor of Walt’s birthday today!]

214 Notes/ Hide

  1. abookthatcanonlybereadinthedark reblogged this from theinmatesruntheasylum
  2. dianebluegreen reblogged this from curiositycounts
  3. johnnybrainwash reblogged this from motherjones and added:
    I’m a little late for Walt’s birthday, but he won’t mind.
  4. stuffyouneedtosee reblogged this from todaysdocument
  5. coelacanthgallery reblogged this from brittanyging
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  8. weeareallpornographersnow reblogged this from barbagrigia
  9. martamiraalrededor reblogged this from curiositycounts
  10. barbagrigia reblogged this from solaricist and added:
    I like the idea that I should “celebrate” my beard.
  11. lifeexperimence reblogged this from usnatarchives
  12. waterman12053 reblogged this from motherjones
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  15. aramrc reblogged this from curiositycounts
  16. mr-sexypants reblogged this from todaysdocument and added:
    I feel like many a ftm can relate to this once the chin hairs start.
  17. deadcatch reblogged this from todaysdocument
  18. giordanohistory reblogged this from todaysdocument
  19. theprogressiveprimate reblogged this from motherjones and added:
    Happy 193rd Birthday! Should have posted this on the 31st of May!
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  22. thirdworldartocracy reblogged this from cwnerd12 and added:
    (via imgTumble)
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  25. thebeautyandthewonder reblogged this from usnatarchives and added:
    Walt Whitman
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