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

Walt Whitman’s assertion reflects his reverence for clarity and honesty within creative expression. He elevates simplicity as the soul of genuine artistry, suggesting that the greatest achievement in art is not elaborate ornamentation or complexity but a radiant clarity that communicates directly to the heart and mind. The “art of art” becomes the essence from which all true creative endeavor flows; it is the skill of distilling thoughts, feelings, and experiences into forms unclouded by unnecessary complication. In equating the “glory of expression” and the “sunshine of the light of letters” with simplicity, Whitman equates the luminescence and vitality of great writing with its ability to illuminate complex truths in an accessible, resonant manner.

Simplicity, in Whitman’s understanding, is not the absence of depth or the product of laziness but a deliberate act of refinement and lucidity. Behind a simple phrase or clear image often lies a wealth of contemplation, empathy, and lived experience. The truest writers and artists share their insights and perceptions not by obscuring them behind grandiose language or convoluted symbolism, but by allowing those truths to shine through, much as sunlight passes through an open window. In this vision, simple expression does not belittle profound sentiment, it ennobles it, making profound ideas universally graspable.

Whitman champions a democratic poetics, one in which language bridges rather than isolates, and connection is forged through the unadorned exchange of ideas and feeling. Artistic greatness, then, depends less on how cleverly one can craft a puzzle for the reader or viewer and more on how powerfully and honestly one can communicate. Simplicity becomes the foundation of connection, the conduit for sympathy and understanding. The “sunshine of the light of letters”, the illumination brought by truthful words, finds its fullest measure when speech is as clear and open as the dawn. Through simplicity, the highest aspirations of art are fulfilled.