R。M。Bucke：Cosmicconsciousness，pp。182-186，abridged。
WaltWhitmanoweshisimportanceinliteraturetothesystematicexpulsionfromhiswritingsofallcontractileelements。Theonlysentimentsheallowedhimselftoexpresswereoftheexpansiveorder；andheexpressedtheseinthefirstperson，notasyourmeremonstrouslyconceitedindividualmightsoexpressthem，butvicariouslyforallmen，sothatapassionateandmysticontologicalemotionsuffuseshiswords，andendsbypersuadingthereaderthatmenandwomen，lifeanddeath，andallthingsaredivinelygood。
Thusithascomeaboutthatmanypersonsto-dayregardWaltWhitmanastherestoreroftheeternalnaturalreligion。Hehasinfectedthemwithhisownloveofcomrades，withhisowngladnessthatheandtheyexist。Societiesareactuallyformedforhiscult；aperiodicalorganexistsforitspropagation，inwhichthelinesoforthodoxyandheterodoxyarealreadybeginningtobedrawn；[39]hymnsarewrittenbyothersinhispeculiarprosody；andheisevenexplicitlycomparedwiththefounderoftheChristianreligion，notaltogethertotheadvantageofthelatter。
[39]IrefertoTheConservator，editedbyHoraceTraubel，andpublishedmonthlyatPhiladelphia。
Whitmanisoftenspokenofasa“pagan。”Thewordnowadaysmeanssometimesthemerenaturalanimalmanwithoutasenseofsin；