day of the immense sun, and action and ambition and laughter

Great is youth, and equally great is old age . . . . great are the day and night;

Great is wealth and great is poverty . . . . great is expression and great is silence.

Youth large lusty and loving . . . . youth full of grace and force and fascination,

Do you know that old age may come after you with equal grace and force and  

 fascination?

Day fullblown and splendid . . . . day of the immense sun, and action and ambition  

 and laughter,

The night follows close, with millions of suns, and sleep and restoring darkness.

I think Walt Whitman is taking in everything as it is and basking in its totality. The default way of thinking is to pick and choose, right? Being young is better than being old. Wealth is better than poverty. But he's saying everything that exists exists with the same level of force and fullness. Nothing that is real is any less real than anything else. The only illusion is the illusion of difference. That's why he repeats 'great' that's why he repeats "grace and force and fascination".

Do you accept the totality? Do you?! I guess so