Leaves of Grass

hs Unt

ths unt

h by margins o

the life that e

rds hitherto publish'

fits, con

I was offering

rds not yet publish'd, c

he man I speak for r

away from the c

alk'd to here by

for in this secluded s

d not dare

ife that does not exhi

all th

songs to-day but tho

em along that s

hence types of

icious Ninth-month i

ll who are or hav

secret my ni

te the need

erbage of

herbage of

ean, I write, to be pe

-leaves growing up

ll leaves, O the wint

elicate

bloom again, out from

all emer

er many passing by will

odor, but I bel

blossoms of my blood!

ay of the heart

you mean there undern

not ha

itter than I can bear,

ul to me you faint ti

hink of

from you, (what indee

ept death

or life I am chanting h

nk it must

mn it grows to ascend to

hen indifferent, my so

he high soul of lovers

nk now these leaves mea

you

leaves that I may see!

rom the conceal

f so in your pink-tin

there so ashamed, h

to unbare this broad

nough stifle

ious blades I leave you

hat I have to

and comrades only, I w

l only th

immortal reverberatio

le to lovers to take p

rough th

e words be said to ma

herefore O death, tha

I see that you belong

eparably together, y

o balk me any more with

'd to me that you are

e shifting forms of lif

are mainl

em come forth to rem

materials you patiently

ne day perhaps ta

ps dissipate this ent

t it is all for, but it d

will last

Are Holding

are holding

thing all wi

warning before you

you supposed, bu

at would becom

imself a candidate

s, the result uncertai

e up all else, I alone

and exclusi

ould even then be

y of your life and all

ou would have

now before troubling yo

r hand from

n and depart

tealth in some

a rock in t

oom of a house I emerg

ie as one dumb, a gawk

th you on a high hill,

miles around ap

sailing at sea, or on

me quiet

our lips upon m

ong-dwelling kiss or t

ew husband and I

thrusting me ben

throbs of your heart

you go forth o

y touching you i

would I silently sleep a

aves conning y

es and me you wi

at first and still m

rtainly

think you had unquesti

see I have esc

I have put into it that

reading it you

best who admire me an

ates for my love (unl

rove vi

o good only, they wil

perhap

ithout that which you

hit, that whic

ease me and dep

u, O D

make the contin

st splendid race the

e divine mag

the love o

he life-long lo

hip thick as trees along

es of the great lakes, a

e cities with their arms

the love o

he manly love

me, O Democracy, to

you I am trilli

Singing

ng in spring co

understand lovers and

should be the po

the garden the world, bu

de, now wading in a lit

rail fences where the

om the fields,

nes and weeds come up

ver them, beyon

est, or sauntering la

hink wh

earthy smell, stopping no

ht, yet soon a troo

nd some behind, and some

ear friends dead or ali

rowd, and I i

sing, singing, there

or tokens, tossing tow

c, with a br

et, some moss which I

as it hung t

nd laurel leaves, an

draw from the water, w

im that tenderly loves

r to separ

ll henceforth be the t

lamus-ro

s with each other! let

and a bunch of wild

ts and plum-blows, an

d around by a thic

touch as I pass, or thr

e what he shall have, g

the water by the pond

t only to them that lov

of l

from My Ribb

from my ribb

ight in rage dissat

long-drawn, ill

an oath and

ful and savage

ubtle nourishm

g and pounding at my

tole and diastole within

ungry wish told t

r, defiancies, thrown f

the

pantings throug

unded words, chattering w

murs of my dream

rs of these incredibl

senses of my body that

tinually-

f them O adhesiveness

and show yourself any

ble Doubt of

ible doubt of

ty after all, that

e and hope are but sp

beyond the grave is a

perceive, the animal

ng and flow

night, colors, densit

ss they are) only app

ing has yet

ut of themselves as if t

ther I know, nor any ma

hat they are (as doubtle

point of view, and migh

hat they appear, or noug

nged poin

like of these are cu

rs, my dea

ravels with me or sits

by the

the impalpable, the sen

, surround us

h untold and untellable

ire nothin

question of appearan

eyond t

sit indifferent,

hand has comple

of All Me

now ge

o remain in your

inale too for a

students the

se of his cr

w and antique, the Gree

and stated, Fichte a

Plato, and Socrates

rates sought and state

studie

to-day those Greek a

es all, Christian ch

clearly see, and underneat

r his comrade, the attrac

husband and wife, of

r city and l

ers Ag

ders ag

u down underneath this

ell you what

ng up my picture as that

portrait, of whom his fri

his songs, but of the m

m, and freely p

me walks thinking of his

rom one he lov'd oft

satisfied

e sick, sick dread les

ly be indiff

ere far away through fi

ering hand in hand, they

'd the streets curv'd w

ile the arm of his frie

at the Clos

close of the day how m

the capitol, still it w

e that

s'd, or when my plans w

was no

rose at dawn from the

ging, inhaling the r

oon in the west grow pa

mornin

one over the beach,

the cool waters, a

how my dear friend my

g, O then I

tasted sweeter, and

more, and the beaut

h equal joy, and with t

my f

all was still I heard

inually up

ustle of the liquid and

ring to cong

ost lay sleeping by me

he cool

autumn moonbeams his fac

ly around my breast-and

ew Person Dra

new person d

ng, I am surely far differ

you will find i

so easy to have me

endship of me would be

k I am trusty

r than this facade, th

manner

advancing on real ground

O dreamer that it may

eaves Thems

ves themselves

n and women from the w

nks of love, fingers t

than

ts of birds hid in the

sun is

ove set from living sho

, to you

s and Third-month twigs

g out in the fields wh

ore you and within

unfolded on t

th of the sun to them t

color, per

liment and the wet th

, tall branc

lames Up a

flames up a

aves hurry

and dry, the air of ri

e down-balls of

gracefully, to d

these more than the f

for his love

than I hurry

eeking something, and ne

perfumes, nor the hig

rne through

soul is borne thr

ections O love, for

kle

ps! my blue v

me! trickle

e falling, drip

to free you whenc

, from my fore

within where I was co

s, confess

every song I sing, every

our scarlet heat,

with yourself al

ve written or shall

een in your light

of

rgies, walk

lived and sung in your

of you, not your sh

ctacles,

ows of your houses, nor

in the streets, nor

goods

learn'd persons, or bea

or f

ass O Manhattan, your f

yes offeri

onse to my own-

inual lovers,

his Swar

swarthy face,

e white wool unc

d the silent manner

attanese and ever at p

e lips with

g of the street or on

iss in

alute of American c

wo natural and n

isiana a Liv

uisiana a liv

and the moss hung d

n it grew there utteri

unbending, lusty, ma

could utter joyous lea

friend near, for I

ig with a certain numb

around it a

, and I have placed i

to remind me as of

ely I think of littl

curious token, it makes

ough the live-oak glis

in a wide in a

es all its life withou

ery well I

Str

u do not know how long

seeking, or she I was s

s of a

surely lived a li

we flit by each other

haste,

e, were a boy with m

lept with you, your bo

or left my b

ure of your eyes, face,

beard, breast,

you, I am to think of

ke at ni

do not doubt I am

to it that I d

Yearning a

rning and thought

e other men in other land

look over and behold

France

China, or in Russia or

if I could know tho

them as I do to me

should be bret

hould be hap

Was Charge

against me that I sought

neither for nor ag

I in common with t

truction

h in the Mannahatta an

s inland an

d woods, and above eve

t dents t

or rules or trust

on of the dear

rie-Gras

dividing, its spec

t the spiritual

opious and close co

es to rise of wor

mosphere, coarse, sunl

own gait, erect, ste

d, leading n

quell'd audacity, tho

sh clear

essly in the faces of P

to say Wh

ssion, simple, never con

of inlan

use the Co

onquer'd fame of hero

erals, I do not

his Presidency, nor the

e brotherhood of lovers

life, through dangers,

and

rough middle and old a

nate and faith

astily walk away fill'd

ys Togeth

oys togeth

other neve

ds going, North and S

elbows stretching,

s, eating, drinking

selves owning, sailing

threat

sts alarming, air breat

f or the sea-

scorning, statutes mock

lling o

se to C

ise to C

pastoral Plains, and on t

le longer, soon I trave

ch robust Am

l that I and robust l

and along th

nland and toward the West

railest Le

leaves of me and yet

de my thoughts, I mys

ose me more than a

r-Savin

or-savin

covery ha

o leave behind me any

spital o

of any deed of co

nor intellect; nor bo

s vibrating throu

mrades a

lim

hrough an int

n and drivers in a bar

night, and I unremark

me and whom I love, s

f near, that he may

e noises of coming and

h and smu

t, happy in being toge

rhaps no

for Han

for han

l persons ol

ippi and on all the

he Miss

oatmen and mecha

l processions movin

elf among you till I s

lk hand

My Li

, my li

so impassive, ampl

spect that

something fierce in you

is enamour'd of

is something fierce and

o burst

it in words, not e

m'd in

I saw a city invincib

of the rest

t was the new c

re than the quality of ro

our in the actions of

l their loo

ou I Take My

I take my pen i

rfect-model'd, majest

to-day unde

past day? or the sple

envelo

nd growth of the great c

mple men I saw to-day

, parting the part

on the other's neck and

rt tightly prest the on

st and to

ast and to

e Seaside State an

f the north, to the

t to depict you as myself

purport of these Stat

p, exalte, prev

its, and has been always w

s with O

love I fill myself with

nreturn

is no unreturn'd love,

ay or a

erson ardently and my

at I have writt

Weste

rb I teach to help yo

ike mine circle

elected by lovers and do n

that you seek to b

or'd Eter

eternal O love

resistless than I can

as disembodied

st athletic realit

t in the regions o

r of my r

the Mu

en and women

cking me out by sec

se, not parent, wife, h

nearer t

but that one is no

r and per

ould discover me so b

ou mean to discover y

Often and S

silently come where you a

or sit near, or remain

subtle electric fire

aying wi

adow My

ess that goes to and f

ttering,

elf standing and looki

ion and doubt wheth

lovers and caro

ubt whether th

of Li

fe now, comp

d the eighty-third

hence or any number

unborn these,

e I that was visible

ct, visible, realizing

were if I could be with y

h you. (Be not too certa