The greatest country, the richest country, is not that which has the most capitalists, monopolists, immense grabbings, vast fortunes, with its sad, sad soil of extreme, degrading, damning poverty, but the land in which… wealth does not show such contrasts high and low, where all men have enough—a modest living—and no man is made possessor beyond the sane and beautiful necessities.

About Walt Whitman

Walter Whitman Jr. (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist; he also wrote two novels. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature and world literature. Whitman incorporated both transcendentalism and realism in his writings and is often...

More quotations from Walt Whitman

Do I contradict myself?/ Very well then I contradict myself,/ (I am large, I contain multitudes.)

—Walt Whitman

I am as bad as the worst, but, thank God, I am as good as the best.

—Walt Whitman

I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.

—Walt Whitman

friendship enough relationship

The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity.

—Walt Whitman

simplicity art glory

The poet judges not as a judge judges but as the sun falling around a helpless thing.

—Walt Whitman

poetry

History

23 Apr 2016 Added
26 Oct 2026 Wording changed

Previous wording

The greatest country, the richest country, is not that which has the most capitalists, monopolists, immense grabbings, vast fortunes, with its sad, sad soil of extreme, degrading, damning poverty, but the land in which . . . wealth does not show such contrasts high and low, where all men have enough — a modest living — and no man is made possessor beyond the sane and beautiful necessities.