In section 5 the poet explains the constituents and characteristics of a great city. A great city is not made merely of long docks, tall and costly buildings, and good libraries and schools, nor is it the "place of the most numerous population." A real city is a place "where the slave ceases"; where "fierce men and women pour forth"; where "equanimity is illustrated in affairs"; and where "speculations on the soul are encouraged." The great city stands where "the cleanliness of the sexes stands" and where the "faithfulest friends" stand. Such a city is beloved by its "orators and bards" and "loves them in return."
In enumerating the characteristics and elements which make a great city, Whitman is restating some of his fundamental ideas — for instance, his opposition to slavery, his belief in "inside authority" and in the "cleanliness of the sexes." These beliefs are central to Whitman's credo and are expressed in other poems, such as "Song of Myself" and the poems in Children of Adam.
Whitman says, in section 6, that "a defiant deed" defeats all "beggarly" arguments and conquers "the materials of cities." A "strong being" who embodies the power of the race is the master of old materials and customs. The value of a community is therefore represented by its strong men and women rather than by its respectability or money-making capacity. Without strong people, what use are "theology . . . traditions [and] statute-books"?
Whitman does not think that the strong person is a tyrant; he is, rather, a spiritual leader. This leader raises his voice and power against all materialistic domination, and "the floridness of the materials of cities" is overcome by his innate spiritual energy. He is a nonconformist since he goes against the prevailing tide of materialistic gain. He is thus a representative of the spirit of the broadaxe.
