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Who really said it

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

Written by Walt Whitman 1819–1892
Verified Free to reuse

Walt Whitman wrote these lines in “Song of Myself,” section 51. They are three poetic lines, joined into a sentence in the familiar quotation.

Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?

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“Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” — Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself,” section 51 (line breaks flattened).

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In context

Evoking the world of Walt Whitman — Poet. Theme: "Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.

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Provenance

The source

Poem
“Song of Myself,” section 51
Collection
Leaves of Grass
Text checked
Later collected poem; lineation preserved in the excerpt

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

Leaves of Grass: full text

How we verified this

Public domain

The nineteenth-century English poem is public domain; the Academy of American Poets labels it accordingly.

Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.

Context

Why it mattered

The lines arrive late in Song of Myself, where the speaker is still inviting a listener into conversation. The complete section ↗ continues with questions about shared time and companionship, placing the famous claim of multitudes inside an encounter rather than a standalone slogan.

Explore

Filed under

More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.

Character Humility

Go further

Dig deeper

Trusted places to keep pulling the thread — primary archives, fact-checks, and scholarship. We show how we used each one before you leave.

Leaves of Grass: full textwww.gutenberg.org

The full poetry text contains the three lines in Song of Myself, section 51.
Academy of American Poets: section 51poets.org

Publishes the exact three lines and labels the poem public domain.
Wikiquote: Leaves of Grassen.wikiquote.org

Its sourced Song of Myself section reproduces the contradiction and multitudes lines.
Whitman: biography and sourcesen.wikiquote.org

Biographical context and references for the poet and his principal collection.

The author

About Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman

1819–1892 · Poet

Walt Whitman repeatedly expanded and revised Leaves of Grass, the poetry collection first issued in 1855. His long, open-ended lines made the individual speaker a meeting place for many voices and experiences.

For writers & researchers

Cite this

The primary source (Chicago)

Whitman, Walt. “Song of Myself,” section 51. In Leaves of Grass. Text checked in Project Gutenberg and Academy of American Poets.

This verification page

Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/do-i-contradict-myself-very-well-then-i-contradict-myself-i/

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