Who said "To have great poets, there must be great audiences."?

This quote is attributed to Walt Whitman.

To have great poets, there must be great audiences. - Walt Whitman

"To have great poets, there must be great audiences."

Walt Whitman Literature

Poet American 1819–1892

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

"I celebrate myself, and sing myself."

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you."

"The future is no more uncertain than the present."

"The pen is mightier than the sword."

"Literature opens the mind to new worlds"

"The interesting thing about books is that they're made of words."

"Literature captures the essence of what it means to be human."