Preface to Leaves of Grass

America does not ignore its past mistakes, but instead learns from them. New, successful ideas spring from the old and unsuccessful ones. The new ideas are brought about by the younger generations, but are not revealed for some time, because the ideas must be tuned and polished to ensure that they will work. The new ideas take the tone of the younger, more ordered generation. The thoughts and ideas are a mirror into the feelings of that time.