Ah Poverties, Wincings, and Sulky Retreats

by Walt Whitman — a poem card from Justes Mots

Whitman catalogs personal defeats and inner conflicts—poverty, failed friendships, shame—yet declares ultimate triumph through the emergence of his authentic self. The poem frames life as inevitable warfare but promises victorious transformation. Ideal for overcoming adversity or encouraging personal growth.

Ah poverties, wincings, and sulky retreats,
Ah you foes that in conflict have overcome me,
(For what is my life or any man’s life but a conflict with foes, the
old, the incessant war?)
You degradations, you tussle with passions and appetites,
You smarts from dissatisfied friendships, (ah wounds the sharpest of all!)
You toil of painful and choked articulations, you meannesses,
You shallow tongue-talks at tables, (my tongue the shallowest of any;)…

Themes: love · new-baby · wedding · friendship