Leaves of Grass (1860)

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UNFOLDED out of the folds of the woman, man comes
unfolded, as is always to come unfolded,

Unfolded only out of the superbest woman of the
earth, is to come the superbest man of the earth,

Unfolded out of the friendliest woman, is to come
the friendliest man,

Unfolded only out of the perfect body of a woman,
can a man be formed of perfect body,

Unfolded only out of the inimitable poem of the
woman, can come the poems of man—only
thence have my poems come,

Unfolded out of the strong and arrogant woman I
love, only thence can appear the strong and
arrogant man I love,

Unfolded by brawny embraces from the well-muscled
woman I love, only thence come the brawny
embraces of the man,

Unfolded out of the folds of the woman's brain, come
all the folds of the man's brain, duly obedient,

Unfolded out of the justice of the woman, all justice
is unfolded,

Unfolded out of the sympathy of the woman is all
sympathy;

A man is a great thing upon the earth, and through
eternity—but every jot of the greatness of man
is unfolded out of woman,

First the man is shaped in the woman, he can then be
shaped in himself.

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