Não se pode falar de Fernando Pessoa sem fazer referência a extrema admiração que ele, pela voz de Álvaro de Campos, sentia pelo poeta americano Walt Whitman, muito bem expressa na magnífica «Saudação a Walt Whitman». Reproduzimos aqui Adieu to a Soldier, de Whitman, para que se conheça um pouco do autor que tanto impacto causou no escritor que é tema único deste blog.

Adieu To A Soldier

Adieu O Soldier
You of the rude campaigning, (which we shared,)
The rapid march, the life of the camp,
The hot contention of opposing fronts--the long manoeuver,
Red battles with their slaughter,--the stimulus--the strong, terrific
game,
Spell of all brave and manly hearts--the trains of Time through you,
and like of you, all fill'd,
With war, and war's expression.

Adieu, dear comrade!
Your mission is fulfill'd--but I, more warlike,
Myself, and this contentious soul of mine, 10
Still on our own campaigning bound,
Through untried roads, with ambushes, opponents lined,
Through many a sharp defeat and many a crisis--often baffled,
Here marching, ever marching on, a war fight out--aye here,
To fiercer, weightier battles give expression.
Walt Whitman