Leaves of Grass · Character
Narrator
A boundless, tender 'I' who claims every body and every blade of grass as his own, inviting you to look, love, and be seen.
major
Also known as Myself, myself, thy, me, thee, Mine, mine, your, thou
First appearance: Leaves of Grass
As a major figure in Leaves of Grass, Narrator is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The speaker who responds to the Soul's call and signs the verses.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
This voice wanders city and shore, pausing over a dead prostitute at the dead-house and calling her body a more wondrous house than any capitol or cathedral. He is not a character so much as a consciousness that refuses…
This voice wanders city and shore, pausing over a dead prostitute at the dead-house and calling her body a more wondrous house than any capitol or cathedral. He is not a character so much as a consciousness that refuses to look away, absorbing the outcast, the convict, and the newborn alike. His urgency to 'draw and clinch your soul for once inseparably with mine' is what makes the early poems feel like an intimate address rather than a performance.
Continue beside the text
The fuller portrait of Narrator sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See Narrator in Leaves of GrassCharacter Web
35 connectionsA slice of how Narrator sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Romantic
- Psychological
- Family
- Friendship
- Professional
Character groups
- Protagonist
- National and Mythic Archetypes
- Maternal and Mediating Forces
- Historical and Symbolic Personages
+30 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker fully internalizes the world’s suffering, feeling…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Lo
romantic · positive
Lo is a passionate, often erotic muse or lover figure who engages the narrator in… How this plays out →
- America
psychological · ambivalent
- Dread Mother
family · ambivalent
- Walt Whitman
psychological · positive
- Eleves
social · positive
- Heroes
friendship · positive
- The Master
professional · positive
- Mediums
professional · positive
- The Crusaders
friendship · positive
- The General
professional · positive
- Christ
psychological · positive
- Pioneers
friendship · positive
Lo
Lo is a passionate, often erotic muse or lover figure who engages the narrator in intimate, sensual dialogue.
America
America is an abstract, maternal yet demanding entity that the narrator both celebrates and feels compelled to embody.
Dread Mother
The Dread Mother is a dark, primordial maternal figure representing death and nature, with whom the narrator has a reverent, fearful bond.
Walt Whitman
The narrator often merges with or directly addresses Walt Whitman as a self-reflexive alter ego or persona.
Eleves
Eleves are students or disciples who look to the narrator for guidance and inspiration.
Heroes
Heroes are celebrated figures the narrator admires and aligns with as comrades in a democratic, epic vision.
The Master
The Master is a teacher or authoritative figure whom the narrator respects and learns from.
Mediums
Mediums are spiritual or artistic intermediaries who work alongside the narrator to convey transcendent messages.
The Crusaders
The Crusaders are fellow travelers or warriors for a cause, with whom the narrator shares a sense of mission.
The General
The General is a military leader whom the narrator addresses with respect and a sense of shared purpose.
Christ
Christ is a symbolic, divine figure with whom the narrator identifies or communes in a mystical, non-dogmatic way.
Pioneers
Pioneers are adventurous, forward-moving companions whom the narrator calls to join in building a new world.
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Narrator in Leaves of GrassIn the story
Narrator appears across 679 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Epigraph
- Leaves of Grass
- Inscriptions
- One's-Self I Sing
- As I Ponder’d in Silence
- In Cabin'd Ships at Sea
- To Foreign Lands
- To a Historian
- +671 more
Epigraph
The speaker who responds to the Soul's call and signs the verses.
Leaves of Grass
The central voice that proclaims the unity of self and nation.
Inscriptions
The poet introduces himself as a voice for democracy and the common people.
One's-Self I Sing
The voice that sings of the self and the collective.
As I Ponder’d in Silence
The poet who ponders and answers the phantom.
In Cabin'd Ships at Sea
The speaker who imagines being read by sailors and sends his book forth as a lone bark.
To Foreign Lands
The speaker who sends poems to foreign lands.
To a Historian
The speaker who contrasts himself with the historian and projects a future history.
To Thee Old Cause
The speaker addresses the old cause directly, identifying his book and spirit with the war fought for it.
Eidólons
The speaker who encounters the seer and is instructed to chant of eidólons.
For Him I Sing
The narrator sings for the central figure, raising the present on the past.
When I Read the Book
The speaker who reads the biography and questions the nature of a man's life.
Beginning My Studies
The speaker who is awed and pleased by the first step of his studies, choosing to stop and sing ecstatic songs.
Beginners
The narrator observes and reflects on the nature of these beginners and their relationship with the world.
On Journeys Through the States
The speaker leads the journey, embodying the collective 'we' that learns, teaches, and loves.
To a Certain Cantatrice
The speaker who bestows the gift upon the cantatrice.
Me Imperturbe
The speaker asserts imperturbability and self-balance in nature.
Savantism
The speaker who observes the retracing of all glories and leads his leaves and songs trustfully.
The Ship Starting
The observer who beholds the ship's departure and the sea's response.
I Hear America Singing
The narrator hears and presents the songs of America's workers.
What Place Is Besieged?
The narrator poses the question and declares the sending of the commander.
Still Though the One I Sing
The speaker who sings and dedicates the song to nationality.
Shut Not Your Doors
The speaker who brings a new book to the libraries.
Poets to Come
The speaker who addresses future poets and defines his own role as a precursor.
To You
The speaker who initiates the call for connection with a passing stranger.
Thou Reader
Directly addresses the reader, asserting a shared humanity.
Starting from Paumanok
The poet-speaker who begins the journey from Paumanok, proclaiming his identity and mission.
Starting from Paumanok
Introduces himself as born on Paumanok, raised by a perfect mother, and a traveler of many lands and occupations.
2
The narrator observes the unfolding of life, the globe, and the generations, with an interminable audience turning to listen.
Chapter 4: Leaves for America
The speaker who studied old times and the great masters, now offering his own work as their worthy descendant.
Chapter 5
The narrator reflects on the past and announces the soul's arrival.
The Soul's Eternal Song
The speaker who vows to create poems of materials, body, mortality, soul, and immortality, and to sing the song of companionship.
The Poet's Religion of Inclusive Faith
The credulous man of qualities, ages, races, advancing from the people and inaugurating a religion.
Chapter 8
The poet speaks directly to a young man, declaring himself the poet of worldly realities while pointing to a higher spiritual truth.
Chapter 9
The speaker who addresses the seeker and America.
Chapter 10: Germs of a Greater Religion
The speaker who sings of planting a greater religion and sharing greatness with a comrade.
As I Have Walk'd in Alabama
Observes the mockingbird and interprets the deeper meaning of its song.
Democracy and the Bard of Personality
The voice proclaiming a new kind of poetry for democracy and personality.
The Soul in the Body
Addresses the reader directly, challenging the search for the soul apart from the body.
Song of the Broad-Axe
The speaker addresses 'whoever you are' and proclaims endless announcements to Democracy's lands, expressing personal love and unity with all regions and people.
Chapter 15
Urges the reader to adhere and persevere, describing himself as bearded, sun-burnt, and forbidding.
On My Way a Moment I Pause
Pauses to address America and the future, harbinging glad and sublime times.
Chapter 17
The voice announcing the new world and feeling the stirring of inner oceans.
Chapter 18
The speaker who sees and presents the vast American scene within his poems.
Camerado Close
The speaker who triumphs and calls to the camerado.
Song of Myself
The central voice of the poem, celebrating the self and connecting with all existence.
Song of Myself
The speaker celebrates himself and invites the reader to assume what he assumes, asserting a shared identity.
Song of Myself (Section 2)
The speaker declares his love for the natural atmosphere and his intention to become undisguised and naked, celebrating sensory experience.
Song of Myself, Section 3
The speaker declares his satisfaction with the present, rejecting past and future concerns.
The Self Amidst the World
The narrator distinguishes between external experiences and the core self, standing amused and detached.
Section 5
Speaks directly to his soul, recalling a moment of spiritual and physical union.
The Grass as a Symbol of Life and Death
The speaker who contemplates the meaning of grass and the nature of death.
Chapter 7
Declares the equal fortune of birth and death, passes with the dying and the newborn, and claims immortality and companionship with all people.
Chapter 8: The Witness of Life and Death
The narrator actively observes and engages with scenes of life, death, and urban commotion.
Chapter 9
The narrator is present and actively engaged in the harvest, describing his physical actions and sensations.
Alone Far in the Wilds and Mountains
Describes personal experiences of hunting, sailing, and aiding a runaway slave.
The Twenty-Ninth Bather
The narrator observes the scene and describes the woman's hidden desire and the young men's obliviousness.
Chapter 12
The narrator loiters and observes the butcher-boy and blacksmiths, enjoying their movements and work.
Chapter 13
Observes and loves the 'picturesque giant,' absorbs all into himself, and expresses belief in the purposes of all creatures.
The Wild Gander's Invitation
The narrator listens closely to the gander's call and identifies with animals and outdoor life, proclaiming the common and near as his essence.
Song of Myself, Section 15
The narrator observes and connects with every person in the catalog, stating 'these tend inward to me, and I tend outward to them' and 'I weave the song of myself.'
Song of Myself, Section 16
The speaker asserts a universal identity, encompassing all ages, genders, and social types.
Chapter 17
The speaker asserts that his thoughts are not original but belong to all people.
With Music Strong I Come
The speaker who comes with music for all, including the conquered and slain.
The Equitable Feast
The speaker who sets the meal and makes appointments with all, refusing to slight anyone.
Chapter 20: The Self's Unshakable Foundation
Declares his own solidity, deathlessness, and self-sufficiency, refusing to snivel or conform.
Song of Myself, Section 21
Proclaims himself poet of Body and Soul, and of woman and man.
22
Resigns himself to the sea, embraces all phases of existence, and attests to sympathy for both good and evil.
Endless Unfolding of Words of Ages
The speaker who unfolds words of ages and declares the word En-Masse, accepting Time and Reality absolutely.
Walt Whitman, a Kosmos
The speaker identifies as a kosmos, son of Manhattan, turbulent and sensual, embracing all aspects of existence.
Chapter 25
Proclaims the self as dazzling and tremendous, sending sunrise from within, and refuses to be encompassed by speech or writing.
Now I Will Do Nothing But Listen
The narrator becomes a passive listener, absorbing all sounds into the song of self.
Chapter 27
The narrator explores the self as a conduit for sensory experience, rejecting isolation in favor of connection.
The Touch of Identity
The speaker is quivering, transformed, and overwhelmed by the touch, losing wits and control.
Chapter 29
The speaker addresses the experience of touch and its lingering ache.
All Truths Wait in All Things
The speaker reflects on the nature of truth and the primacy of personal experience and feeling.
The Miracle of the Common
The narrator expresses a profound unity with nature, claiming to incorporate elements like gneiss, coal, and moss, and to be stuccoed with quadrupeds and birds.
The Animal Self
The speaker who longs to live with animals and reflects on their self-contained nature.
The Universal Self
The narrator becomes the hounded slave, the wounded fireman, and the old artillerist, declaring 'I am the man, I suffer'd, I was there.'
The Massacre at Goliad
Recalls a personal memory from early youth in Texas, telling the tale of the massacre.
The Old-Time Sea-Fight
The narrator tells the sea-fight story as passed down from his grandmother's father.
The Midnight Wreck
The observing voice that records the scene of the sinking ship and its casualties.
Chapter 37: The Prisoner's Lament
The narrator identifies with prisoners, mutineers, and cholera patients, feeling their pain and shame.
Chapter 38
The narrator emerges from a stupor, remembers past suffering, and asserts renewed strength and purpose.
The Friendly and Flowing Savage
The narrator introduces and describes the 'friendly and flowing savage,' reflecting on his nature and universal appeal.
Flaunt of the Sunshine
Proclaims the giving of self, compels and bestows upon all, refuses to deny anyone.
The Poet as Universal Equalizer
Proclaims himself a healer and a creator, outbidding ancient gods and finding divinity in common life.
A Call in the Midst of the Crowd
The narrator speaks as a unifying voice, calling out to the crowd and asserting his connection to all people.
Chapter 43
The speaker who encompasses all religions and doubts, speaking as a universal figure.
Chapter 44
The narrator explains himself, launching all into the Unknown and reflecting on his eternal journey.
O Span of Youth!
Experiences suffocating love from companions and contemplates cosmic expansion and immortality.
The Perpetual Journey
The narrator leads the journey, offering guidance and companionship while insisting on individual responsibility.
The Teacher of Athletes
The speaker who identifies as the teacher of athletes and the tongue of the people.
Chapter 48
Speaks directly to the reader, asserting the equality of soul and body and the self's greatness.
Death, Life, and the Eternal Cycle
The speaker who fearlessly addresses Death and reflects on the cycles of life and death.
The Unspoken Essence
The speaker explores an unknown, nameless essence within, experiencing a transformative sleep and awakening.
Chapter 51
The speaker who has filled and emptied the past and present, now turning to the future and inviting a listener.
The Barbaric Yawp
The speaker who is untamed, untranslatable, and departs as air, bequeathing himself to the dirt.
Children of Adam
The voice celebrating the body and sexual union.
To the Garden the World
The narrator experiences resurrection and amorous unity with the world, peering and penetrating with wonder.
From Pent-Up Aching Rivers
The speaker who sings of the phallus, procreation, and the ecstatic union of lovers, expressing a deep, lawless desire for connection.
I Sing the Body Electric
The speaker who sings the body electric, engirths the armies of those he loves, and immerses himself in physical and sensual experience.
I Sing the Body Electric
The speaker who sings the body electric and embraces the armies of those he loves.
Body and Soul in Motion
The narrator expresses love for the body and participates in the scenes described, loosening himself and joining in the activities.
The Common Farmer
The narrator recounts visiting and observing the farmer, expressing admiration and a desire for closeness.
Chapter 4
Expresses contentment in being with others and the physical sensations of touch and presence.
The Female Form
The narrator is drawn to the female form with fierce attraction, describing it as a divine nimbus that consumes all else.
The Sacred Equality of All
The voice that proclaims the sacredness of every body and the equal place of all in the cosmic procession.
The Body at Auction
Observes and comments on the slave auction, helping the auctioneer and highlighting the value of the man's body.
The Sacred Body
The voice that questions and proclaims the sacredness of the body.
The Body Electric
The speaker proclaims the unity of body and soul, refusing to desert the body in others or in himself.
A Woman Waits for Me
The speaker who declares his robust, loving, and procreative role with women.
Spontaneous Me
The speaker intimately describes personal sensations, longings, and the body's experiences.
One Hour to Madness and Joy
The speaker who cries out for a liberating hour of madness and joy, rejecting all ties and conventions.
Out of the Rolling Ocean the Crowd
Receives the whispered love and responds with reassurance, acknowledging the temporary separation and eternal unity.
Ages and Ages Returning at Intervals
The speaker who returns undestroyed and immortal, chanting Adamic songs and offering himself.
We Two, How Long We Were Fool’d
The speaker who, along with a companion, undergoes a profound transformation into various natural forms.
O Hymen! O Hymenee!
The speaker who cries out to Hymen in desire and frustration.
I Am He That Aches with Love
The speaker who aches with amorous love and compares his attraction to others to the gravitational pull of matter.
Native Moments
The speaker who revels in sensual pleasures and aligns with outcasts.
Once I Pass’d Through a Populous City
The speaker who passes through the city and is detained by love.
I Heard You Solemn-Sweet Pipes of the Organ
The speaker who hears and reflects on the varied sounds of the world and love.
Facing West from California’s Shores
The speaker, a child very old, inquiring and tireless, faces west from California's shores.
As Adam Early in the Morning
The speaker presents himself as Adam, fresh from sleep, inviting touch.
Calamus
The central voice expressing deep personal emotions of love, longing, and comradeship.
In Paths Untrodden
The speaker who escapes from conventional life to discover and celebrate comradeship.
Scented Herbage of My Breast
The speaker who gleans leaves from his own breast, chants for death, and resolves to sound himself and comrades.
Whoever You Are Holding Me Now in Hand
The speaker who warns, entices, and eludes the reader, demanding total devotion while asserting his own inscrutability.
For You O Democracy
The speaker who pledges to make the continent indissoluble and plant companionship.
These I Singing in Spring
The poet who traverses the garden and forest, collecting tokens for lovers and comrades.
Not Heaving from My Ribb’d Breast Only
The speaker reflects on the inadequacy of physical and emotional expressions, ultimately finding his identity in his songs.
Of the Terrible Doubt of Appearances
The speaker expresses deep doubt about appearances and reality, finding solace in the hand of a beloved friend.
The Base of All Metaphysics
The old professor addressing his students at the close of his course.
Recorders Ages Hence
The speaker who reveals his inner self as a tender lover and friend.
When I Heard at the Close of the Day
The speaker reflects on personal fulfillment versus public recognition.
Are You the New Person Drawn Toward Me?
The speaker issues a cautionary warning to a new person drawn toward him, emphasizing the gap between appearance and reality.
Roots and Leaves Themselves Alone
The voice that offers the roots, leaves, and scents to the reader, inviting intimate engagement.
Not Heat Flames Up and Consumes
The speaker expresses a consuming, burning love and a restless, tide-like longing for his beloved.
Trickle Drops
The speaker who offers his own blood as a confession and stain upon his work.
City of Orgies
The speaker who has lived and sung in the city and is repaid by the loving glances of its inhabitants.
Behold This Swarthy Face
The speaker describes his own swarthy face, gray eyes, beard, and brown hands, and participates in the kiss of comradeship.
I Saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing
The speaker who observes the live-oak and reflects on his own need for friends and manly love.
To a Stranger
The speaker who longingly observes the stranger and recalls a shared past life.
This Moment Yearning and Thoughtful
Sits alone, yearning and thoughtful, imagining connection with men worldwide.
I Hear It Was Charged Against Me
The speaker defends his intentions and declares his mission to establish comradeship.
The Prairie-Grass Dividing
The speaker who demands spiritual correspondence and companionship.
When I Peruse the Conquer’d Fame
The speaker who peruses fame and feels envy for brotherly love.
We Two Boys Together Clinging
One of the two boys, speaking as part of the inseparable pair.
A Promise to California
The speaker who promises to travel westward and teach robust American love.
Here the Frailest Leaves of Me
The speaker reveals the intimate and vulnerable nature of these verses.
No Labor-Saving Machine
The speaker reflects on his lack of material or intellectual legacy.
A Glimpse
The speaker who observes and participates in the intimate moment.
A Leaf for Hand in Hand
The speaker who wishes to infuse himself among the people.
Earth, My Likeness
The speaker confesses a fierce and terrible inner passion, comparing himself to the Earth and acknowledging a deep, unspoken bond with an athlete.
I Dream’d in a Dream
The dreamer who envisions the city of friends.
What Think You I Take My Pen in Hand?
The observer who chooses to record a personal, tender scene over grand public spectacles.
To the East and to the West
The speaker who addresses the diverse peoples of America with trust and love.
Sometimes with One I Love
The speaker who experiences and reflects on unrequited love.
To a Western Boy
The speaker who teaches and seeks a blood-bond with the boy.
Fast-Anchor’d Eternal O Love!
The speaker who addresses love and ascends into ethereal regions.
Among the Multitude
The speaker who perceives being chosen from the multitude by a secret affinity.
O You Whom I Often and Silently Come
The speaker who silently harbors a deep, electric passion for the companion.
That Shadow My Likeness
The speaker who observes his own shadow self and affirms his true identity through love and song.
Full of Life Now
The speaker, full of life and visible at forty, addresses a future reader.
Salut au Monde!
The voice that salutes and embraces the world, asserting unity with all peoples.
O Take My Hand Walt Whitman!
The speaker who addresses Walt Whitman and marvels at the interconnected world.
Within Me
The speaker internalizes the entire globe, claiming latitude, longitude, continents, and natural phenomena as part of the self.
The Vision of the World
The voice that asks 'What do you see Walt Whitman?' and then describes the global vision.
Salut au Monde!
The narrator sees the tracks, telegraphs, and rivers of the earth, embracing the entire world.
The Vision of Ancient Religions and Sacrifice
The visionary observer who sees the historical and spiritual sites of ancient religions.
Chapter 7: Visions of the Earth
The observing consciousness that sees across continents and eras.
Chapter 8: Visions of the World's Extremes
The observing consciousness that sees across continents and cultures.
Chapter 9
The narrator declares himself a part of cities across the globe, from Paris to Irkutsk.
Salutation to All Inhabitants of the Earth
The observing voice that sees and salutes all peoples and conditions across the globe.
You Whoever You Are
The speaker who addresses all humanity and sends greetings from America.
Chapter 12
The speaker who addresses various peoples, affirming their eventual equality and inclusion.
Salut au Monde!
The spirit passes in compassion and determination around the whole earth, seeking equals and lovers.
Song of the Open Road
The speaker who embarks on the open road, inviting others to join in a journey of self-discovery and liberation.
Song of the Open Road
The speaker who joyfully sets out on the open road, declaring self-reliance and carrying the weight of men and women.
Song of the Open Road
Enters upon the road and observes the diverse parade of humanity, affirming acceptance of all.
Song of Myself, 3
The speaking self who perceives latent spirits in everyday objects and paths.
The Open Road
The speaker who addresses the public road, expressing both love and independence.
Chapter 5: The Loosening of Limits
Proclaims self-liberation and total autonomy, becoming 'my own master total and absolute'.
The Secret of the Making of the Best Persons
The narrator speaks of seeing the secret of making the best persons and re-examines philosophies and religions.
The Efflux of the Soul
The speaker reflects on inner yearnings and the impact of human presence on his spirit.
The Efflux of the Soul
Describes the soul's happiness flowing outward and charging the self.
Allons! The Open Road
The voice that invites and encourages the traveler to continue onward.
Allons! The Open Road Journey Begins
The voice that urges the reader to join the journey, demanding courage and health.
The Call to Depart
Speaks directly to the reader, offering rough new prizes and describing the inevitable call to depart.
Song of the Open Road
The speaker who invites others to join the journey and reflects on the phases of life.
The Open Road Journey Begins
The narrator calls out to all souls, urging them to come forth on the journey.
The Call to Battle and the Open Road
Issues the call to battle and the open road, demanding readiness for struggle.
Song of the Open Road
The speaker who has tested the road and invites the reader to join.
Crossing Brooklyn Ferry
The speaker who observes the ferry crossing and meditates on time, identity, and connection.
Crossing Brooklyn Ferry
The speaker who observes the scene and meditates on the connection across time.
Crossing Brooklyn Ferry
The speaker who contemplates his own disintegration and unity with the scheme of things, and who projects his experience onto future generations.
Crossing Brooklyn Ferry
Addresses future generations directly, sharing sensory experiences of the river and city.
Chapter 4
Expresses love for cities, rivers, and people, and anticipates future recognition.
Chapter 5
Reflects on the unity of soul and body, asserting that identity is received through the body.
Chapter 6: The Shared Darkness
Confesses to experiencing evil and base desires, asserting shared humanity.
Closer Yet I Approach You
Addresses the reader directly, asserting a premeditated and timeless connection.
The Union of Souls
The narrator expresses awe at the stately and admirable nature of Manhattan and the natural world, and speaks of a deep, unspoken connection with others.
Chapter 9: The Eternal Flow
The narrator speaks directly to the river, waves, and city, calling for connection and reflection on the soul's relationship with the material world.
Song of the Answerer
The poet who answers the unspoken questions of humanity.
Song of the Answerer
The narrator speaks the morning's romanza and tells the signs of the Answerer, singing to cities and farms.
The Answerer
The voice proclaiming the role of the true poet as the Answerer.
Our Old Feuillage
The narrator is the unifying consciousness, rambling through lanes and fields, observing and absorbing all aspects of American life, and proclaiming his identity with the land and its people.
A Song of Joys
The speaker exuberantly catalogs personal and universal joys, from childhood memories to the embrace of death.
Song of the Broad-Axe
The voice that celebrates the broad-axe and its transformative power.
Weapon Shapely
The observing voice that describes the weapon and its attributes.
Song of the Broad-Axe 2
The voice that welcomes and celebrates the diversity of lands.
The Log at the Wood-Pile
The observing voice that catalogs the varied scenes of labor, history, and human experience.
Muscle and Pluck Forever
The voice proclaiming the primacy of personal qualities and defiance.
The Great City
The narrator articulates the vision of the great city, emphasizing inner authority and self-reliance.
The Defiant Deed
The voice that questions and dismisses conventional arguments and societal norms in favor of the strong being.
A Sterile Landscape Serves All
The voice that observes and declares the universal service of the landscape and labor.
Chapter 8: The European Headsman and the New Race
The visionary observer who sees the downfall of European oppression and the emergence of a new race.
Song of the Broad-Axe
The narrator speaks in first person, declaring love for America and observing the shapes and users of the axe.
The Shapes Arise
The narrator observes and catalogs the diverse shapes of human life, from domestic joy to public shame and execution.
Her Shape Arises
Describes the emergence and qualities of the central female figure.
Song of the Exposition
The speaker invokes the Muse and describes the new American exposition.
After All Not to Create Only
The voice reflecting on labor, creation, and the New World's lessons.
Come Muse Migrate
The speaker directly addresses the Muse, commanding her to migrate and discard old stories.
Song of the Exposition
The speaker who summons and perceives the muse's arrival.
To Thee Columbia
The speaker who introduces the stranger and addresses Columbia and the Muse.
The Cathedral of Industry
The visionary voice that chants and prophesies the rise of the industrial cathedral.
Chapter 6
Speaks as the prophetic voice, declaring America's monuments to be its people and their life.
Away with Themes of War
The speaker rejects war and old romance, advocating for themes of industry and daily labor.
The Flag and the Union
The speaker who addresses the flag directly and reflects on its history and meaning.
Song of the Redwood-Tree
The poet who listens to the redwood's song and interprets its meaning for humanity.
A California Song
The narrator hears the death-chant of the redwood tree and interprets its prophecy.
The Flashing and Golden Pageant of California
The narrator observes and describes the sweeping panorama of California's development and the arrival of the new race.
The Promise of the New World
The speaker observes and proclaims the promise of the Western shore and the new society.
A Song for Occupations
The voice that proclaims the worth of every occupation and invites all workers to join in a song of equality.
A Song for Occupations
The narrator speaks directly to workers, asserting equality and shared experience.
Song of Myself, Section 2
The speaker who sees and owns the souls of all people, offering an intangible value.
The Grandeur of Existence and the Self
The speaker contemplates the meaning of existence and addresses a 'camerado' directly.
The Sum of All Reverence
Addresses the reader directly, declaring that all reverence and institutions are for them.
The Unity of the Material and the Spiritual
The speaker directly addresses the reader, asserting the paradox that gross objects and the unseen soul are one.
Chapter 6: The Immanent Divine
The speaker directly addresses the reader, asserting the primacy of the immediate and the familiar.
A Song of the Rolling Earth
The voice that proclaims the song of the earth and the equality of all.
A Song of the Rolling Earth
The narrator speaks as a word among the elements, interpenetrating with air, soil, water, and fire, and emphasizes the inaudible words of the earth.
Whoever You Are
Directly addresses the reader as 'Whoever you are,' asserting the personal nature of the universe and immortality.
The Earth's Completeness
The speaker who swears by the earth's completeness and reflects on the limits of language.
The Architects of the Soul
Swears to embrace faith that leaves the best untold and promises the arrival of architects.
Youth, Day, Old Age and Night
The voice addresses youth and day, then points to the inevitable but equally graceful arrival of old age and night.
Birds of Passage
The narrator reflects on the passage of time and the soul's journey.
Song of the Universal
The narrator speaks as the poet receiving the Muse's command and articulating the universal vision.
The Seed of Perfection
The speaker who is called by the Muse to sing a new song.
Lo! Keen-eyed Towering Science
The voice that observes and proclaims the soul's supremacy over science.
Over the Mountain-Growths
The observing voice that perceives the guiding thread through the labyrinth.
America's Culmination
Speaks in first person, asking God to sing the thought and expressing a quenchless faith.
Pioneers! O Pioneers!
The speaker who calls and rallies the pioneers, expressing love and urgency.
To You
Addresses the reader directly, placing his hand upon them and declaring them his poem.
France
Walks the shores of the Eastern sea, hears the wailing infant Liberty, and signs a salute over the sea.
Myself and Mine
The speaker asserts his own way, rebukes the worthy, and calls for distrust of friends and rejection of any school founded on him.
Year of Meteors
The narrator observes and sings of the year's events, standing silently at the scaffold and among the crowds, identifying himself as a transient meteor.
With Antecedents
The speaker who embodies all antecedents and declares himself the center of all times and races.
With Antecedents
The speaker reflects on personal and collective antecedents, linking their own existence to the sweep of history.
Chapter 2
Proclaims a transcendent self that includes all ages, laws, and beliefs.
The Present as the Center of All Days
The speaker typifies the common average man and asserts the present as the center of all days and races.
A Broadway Pageant
The narrator observes and interprets the pageant, connecting the event to broader themes of unity and national identity.
Over the Western Sea
The observing voice who beholds the procession and descends to merge with the crowd.
Superb-Faced Manhattan
The poet speaks as 'I', joining the pageant and chanting the vision.
Sea-Drift
The voice that observes and reflects on the sea's moods and the human condition.
Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking
The poet as a child and adult, recalling the transformative experience on the beach.
As I Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life
Walks the shores, musing on his own insignificance and the failure of his poems to capture his true self.
As I Ebb'd with the Ocean of Life
Walks the shores of Paumanok, musing on life and the self.
As I Wended to the Shores I Know Not
The narrator reflects on his own inadequacy and the unreachable real self.
Chapter 3
The speaker who identifies with the drift and debris, and demands intimacy from Paumanok.
Ebb, Ocean of Life
The speaker who tenderly gathers from the ocean's ebb and addresses the observer.
Tears
The weeping figure on the shore, overwhelmed by sorrow and solitude.
To the Man-of-War-Bird
The speaker observes the bird from the deck, feeling small and transient in contrast.
Aboard at a Ship’s Helm
The speaker observes the steersman and reflects on the ship as a metaphor for the body and soul.
On the Beach at Night
The father who comforts the child and speaks of immortality.
The World Below the Brine
Observes and describes the submarine world and its inhabitants, then reflects on the transition to the human sphere and beyond.
On the Beach at Night Alone
The observer on the beach, reflecting on the unity of all things.
Song for All Seas, All Ships
The speaker recites a chant for sailors of all nations, celebrating their indomitable spirit.
Song for All Seas, All Ships
The voice delivering the recitative, observing and chanting for the sailors.
Flaunt Out O Sea Your Separate Flags
The voice that commands the sea to flaunt its flags and signals, while asserting a higher spiritual banner.
Patroling Barnegat
The observing presence who describes the storm and the patrol's vigil.
After the Sea-Ship
Observes and describes the sea-ship and the waves from a detached, poetic perspective.
By the Roadside
The observing voice throughout the roadside scenes.
A Boston Ballad
Observes and comments on the parade and the ghostly veterans.
Europe
The speaker observes the European revolutions and addresses the kings and liars, expressing unwavering hope in liberty.
A Hand-Mirror
The speaker holds the mirror and confronts the degraded self.
Gods
The speaker who calls upon various gods to be their divine companion and liberator.
Germs
The speaker extends an arm and half encloses a handful of space, asserting that it contains the germs of all things.
Thoughts
The narrator contemplates ownership, vista, and the ongoing journey.
When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer
The speaker who becomes weary of the astronomer's analytical presentation and seeks direct experience of the stars.
Perfections
The voice that declares the exclusive self-understanding of perfections and souls.
O Me! O Life!
The speaker questions the worth of life and self, reproaching himself for faithlessness and foolishness.
To a President
Delivers the critique of the President's actions and words.
I Sit and Look Out
The observer who sits and looks out upon all the sorrows of the world, hearing and seeing but remaining silent.
To Rich Givers
The speaker who accepts gifts and offers universal gifts in return.
The Dalliance of the Eagles
Observes the eagles during a forenoon walk along the river road.
Roaming in Thought
The voice roaming in thought over the Universe.
A Child's Amaze
Recalls childhood experience of hearing a preacher.
The Runner
Describes the runner's physique and action with precise observation.
Mother and Babe
The observing poet who studies the mother and babe long and long.
Thought
Observes and reflects on the dynamic between leaders and followers.
Visor'd
The observer describing the perpetual disguiser.
Thought
The voice contemplating the essence of justice.
Gliding O'er All
The speaker who declares the voyage of the soul and the intention to sing of death.
Hast Never Come to Thee an Hour
The speaker directly addresses the reader, posing a rhetorical question about a transformative, divine moment.
Thought
The speaker contemplates equality and its relation to personal rights.
To Old Age
The speaker addresses Old Age directly, observing its grandeur.
Locations and Times
Ponders the inner self that meets and feels at home in all locations and times.
Offerings
The visionary observer who describes the scene of perfect beings and their communities.
To the States
The voice questioning the state of the nation and declaring a future awakening.
Drum-Taps
The voice that observes and recounts the war's impact, from the initial drumbeats to the quiet aftermath.
First O Songs for a Prelude
The narrator observes and celebrates the mobilization of Manhattan, expressing deep love and pride for the city and its people.
Eighteen Sixty-One
The speaker observes and addresses the year 1861 directly, describing its powerful presence.
Beat! Beat! Drums!
The commanding voice that urges the drums and bugles to drown out all normal life.
From Paumanok Starting I Fly Like a Bird
The speaker who starts from Paumanok and flies like a bird across the continent.
Song of the Banner at Daybreak
The poet who sings a new, free song, weaving together the voices of the banner, child, father, and sea, and ultimately embracing the banner's call to war and national identity.
Rise O Days from Your Fathomless Deeps
The speaker who roams nature, then turns to cities and Democracy, experiencing a transformation from solitary hunger to full satisfaction.
Rise O Days from Your Fathomless Deeps
The speaker who travels, observes, and feeds his soul on nature's might.
Chapter 2
The speaker addresses the soul and observes the urban and democratic upheaval.
Thunder on! Stride on, Democracy!
The speaker who abandons cities, hungers for primal energies, and becomes fully satisfied by witnessing America's rise.
Virginia—The West
The observer who sees both the fallen sire's threat and the noble son's rescue, framing the conflict and resolution.
City of Ships
The speaker who chants and celebrates the city, then declares war as his song.
The Centenarian's Story
The volunteer who assists the centenarian and later speaks as the chansonnier connecting past and present.
Cavalry Crossing a Ford
Observes and describes the cavalry crossing with a painterly eye.
Bivouac on a Mountain Side
The observing 'I' who describes the bivouac scene.
An Army Corps on the March
Observes and describes the army corps in motion.
By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame
Sits by the bivouac fire, reflecting on life and death.
Come Up from the Fields Father
The narrator describes the scene of the family receiving the letter and the mother's grief.
Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night
The speaker who keeps the vigil, mourning and burying his fallen comrade.
A March in the Ranks Hard-Prest, and the Road Unknown
The narrator is a soldier in the retreating army, who enters the hospital church, stanches a young soldier's wound, and then continues the march.
A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim
The speaker who emerges from his tent, walks the camp path, and gently uncovers the faces of the fallen.
As Toilsome I Wander’d Virginia’s Woods
The wandering observer who discovers the soldier's grave and later recalls it.
Not the Pilot
The speaker asserts his role as a composer of a march for the States, likening his perseverance to that of a pilot or pathfinder.
Year That Trembled and Reel’d Beneath Me
The speaker questions himself and his role as a poet in the face of overwhelming gloom and defeat.
The Wound-Dresser
The old man who returns in memory to dress wounds and soothe soldiers.
An Old Man Bending
The old man bending among new faces, recalling war scenes and his resignation to soothe the wounded.
The Wounded Healer
The speaker who returns from battle to care for the wounded, moving with hinged knees and steady hand.
The Wounded Dresser
The speaker who dresses wounds and tends to the dying soldiers, showing both clinical detachment and profound inner emotion.
The Hospital Vigil
The narrator threads through hospitals, pacifying the hurt and wounded, and recalls the sweet and sad experience of comforting soldiers.
Long, Too Long America
The narrator positions themselves as the sole conceiver of what America's children en masse truly are.
Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun
The speaker expresses conflicting desires for solitude and city life, ultimately choosing the urban experience.
Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun
The speaker expresses a deep longing for nature and solitude while paradoxically remaining bound to the city.
Keep Your Splendid Silent Sun
The speaker passionately chooses the urban over the natural, demanding faces, streets, and the endless human parade.
Dirge for Two Veterans
The observer who is deeply moved by the funeral procession and offers his love to the fallen soldiers.
Over the Carnage Rose Prophetic a Voice
The prophetic voice that rises over the carnage, declaring the power of affection and comradeship to unite the nation.
The Artilleryman’s Vision
The artilleryman who experiences the haunting vision of battle while at home.
Ethiopia Saluting the Colors
The soldier marching with Sherman's army who observes and questions the woman.
Not Youth Pertains to Me
The speaker reflects on his own lack of youth and polish, but asserts his value through his service to soldiers and his poetic work.
Race of Veterans
The voice proclaiming the race of veterans and victors.
O Tan-Faced Prairie-Boy
The speaker who welcomes the prairie-boy and reflects on the profound gift of their silent connection.
Look Down Fair Moon
The speaker addresses the moon, pleading for its light to reveal the dead.
Reconciliation
The speaker who reflects on war's end and performs the act of reconciliation.
How Solemn as One by One
Observes the returning soldiers and addresses the reader directly.
As I Lay with My Head in Your Lap Camerado
Confesses his restless nature and dangerous words, resolute despite denial.
Delicate Cluster
The speaker observes and sings to the flag, expressing personal devotion and memory.
To a Certain Civilian
The speaker who rejects the civilian's request for peaceful rhymes, identifying with the raw energy of war.
Lo, Victress on the Peaks
The speaker brings a cluster of night's darkness and blood-dripping wounds, not a proud poem.
Spirit Whose Work Is Done
The speaker who invokes the war spirit and asks to be filled with its rage.
Adieu to a Soldier
Bids farewell to the soldier and asserts his own continuing, more warlike spiritual journey.
To the Leaven’d Soil They Trod
Emerges from tent for the last time, loosing the tent-ropes, and sings to the leaven'd soil.
Memories of President Lincoln
Voice of personal and national mourning, reflecting on Lincoln's death.
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d
The speaker mourns Lincoln's death, breaks a lilac sprig, and journeys through grief to acceptance.
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd
The speaker who mourns and reflects on loss.
O Powerful Western Fallen Star
Expresses grief and helplessness over the fallen star.
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd
The speaker who breaks the lilac sprig and expresses love for the perfume and miracle of the leaves.
The Solitary Thrush
The narrator observes the solitary thrush and addresses it as 'dear brother', acknowledging its song as essential to its survival.
Over the Breast of the Spring
Observes the passage of a coffin through the spring landscape.
Coffin That Passes Through Lanes and Streets
The speaker who observes the funeral procession and offers a sprig of lilac to the coffin.
Chapter 7
The speaker who brings blossoms and sings for death.
O Western Orb Sailing the Heaven
Walks in silence through the transparent shadowy night, feeling troubled and dissatisfied, and communes with the setting western orb.
Chapter 9
Hears the singer's call and is detained by the star.
Warble Myself for the Dead One
The speaker who mourns and seeks to warble a song for the departed loved one.
Adorning the Burial-House
The speaker who questions what to hang on the chamber walls.
Lo, Body and Soul
The speaker observes and unites body, soul, and land.
Sing On, Gray-Brown Bird
The speaker who listens to the bird's song and feels its emotional pull.
The Carol of Death
Sits observing the living world, then embraces death as a companion and joins the bird's carol.
To the Tally of My Soul
The narrator hears the bird's song and has a vision of war's devastation.
Passing the Visions
The narrator passes through the night, releases comrades' hands, and communes with the star and the bird.
O Captain! My Captain!
The speaker mourns the captain's death, expressing grief and disbelief while acknowledging the victory.
Hush’d Be the Camps To-day
The poet who is called upon to sing of the love for the commander.
This Dust Was Once the Man
The speaker who memorializes the fallen man.
By Blue Ontario’s Shore
The speaker who stands by the shore and proclaims the vision of democracy and the poet's role.
By Blue Ontario's Shore
Muses by Ontario's shore and is accosted by a phantom.
A Nation Announcing Itself
The voice proclaims the nation's self-announcement and self-reliance.
Chapter 3: The Many Supremes
The voice that questions the idea of a single supreme and proclaims the equality of all individuals.
Piety and Conformity
Speaks with a barb'd tongue, taunting and compelling men, women, and nations to action.
America as the Heir of Ages
The voice that observes and proclaims America's unique role and the soul's love for its qualities.
Land of Lands and Bards to Corroborate
The poet figure who incarnates the land, taking into himself its rivers, cities, wars, and peoples.
Chapter 7
The speaker observes and marks the transformation of Libertad.
Chapter 8: The Republic Ever Constructive
The speaker isolates himself for the sake of America's future, leading builders and planners.
The Phantom by Ontario's Shore
Listens to the Phantom by Ontario's shore and hears the voice demanding bards.
The Poet as Arbiter and Equalizer
Describes the poet's role as equable man, arbiter, and leader of leaders.
The Mission of Poets
The poet who stands in the rain saluting the flag and singing through the fight.
The Poet's Vocation in America
The narrator poses the rigorous questions to the would-be poet or teacher.
Fall Behind Me States
Declares himself typical and before all, recounting his life of devotion and service.
The Individual as the Center of All
The voice that swears to understand the primacy of the individual.
Nativity and Self
The speaker declares his commitment to nativity and personal expression of love.
America Is You and Me
The speaker identifies himself as integral to America, embracing all aspects of the nation and vowing to be mastered by nothing.
Confronting the Cosmos
Confronts the shows of day and night, asserting his own majesty and meaning.
Thus by Blue Ontario's Shore
Thrills with the power's pulsations and envisions past poets
Bards of the Great Idea
The poet speaks directly, invoking bards for his own land.
Reversals
The voice commanding the reversal of positions and priorities.
Autumn Rivulets
The voice reflecting on autumn and the cycles of life.
As Consequent, etc.
The speaker who sings of continued years and gathers currents from nature and time.
The Return of the Heroes
The speaker retires to the autumn fields, tunes a verse for the earth, and reflects on the return of the armies.
Autumn Fields
The narrator withdraws to the autumn fields to compose a verse inspired by the earth.
The Annual Drama
The observing voice that beholds and describes the natural spectacle.
The Turn from War
The speaker who stood amidst the conflict and now turns away from singing of war.
Chapter 5
The speaker who observes the landscape and contemplates the dead.
Song of the Broad-Axe 7
The observing voice that sees the true arenas of the race and the heroes at their toils.
There Was a Child Went Forth
The narrator observes and recounts the child's transformative journey of becoming one with the world.
The City Dead-House
The speaker who idly saunters and pauses to observe the dead prostitute, reflecting on her body as a sacred house.
This Compost
The speaker who initially withdraws from nature in disgust, then re-engages with awe at the earth's regenerative power.
Something Startles Me
The speaker withdraws from the woods and pastures, expressing horror at the hidden decay beneath the natural world.
Behold This Compost!
Observes and reflects on the compost of the earth, finding both terror and wonder in its regenerative power.
To a Foil’d European Revolutionaire
The speaker addresses the revolutionary as 'my brother or my sister' and declares himself 'the sworn poet of every dauntless rebel the world over.'
Unnamed Lands
The speaker who contemplates the ancient peoples and asserts their ongoing existence.
Song of Prudence
The speaker who saunters Manhattan's streets pondering prudence and its relation to the soul and immortality.
The Singer in the Prison
Describes the scene of the prison chapel and the singer's performance.
The Convict Soul
The narrator observes and describes the scene of pity and shame, conveying the emotional impact of the convict's song.
The Prisoner's Hymn
Describes the scene of the prison church and the lady's hymn.
The Singer in the Prison
Observes the scene and reflects on the transformative power of the singer's song.
Warble for Lilac-Time
The speaker exults in lilac-time and calls upon the soul to join in a journey of liberation.
Outlines for a Tomb
The speaker who addresses the tomb and reflects on the life within, then envisions ideal scenes of labor and domestic life.
What May We Chant?
The voice questioning the legacy of the deceased.
Silent, My Soul
The soul of the narrator is the silent observer, pondering and turning from heroic monuments to envision domestic and laboring scenes.
3
The speaker addresses the entombed figure and reflects on their legacy.
Out from Behind This Mask
The speaker who steps out from behind the mask to confront the reader.
Out from Behind This Mask
The speaker who unveils the inner drama and cosmic essence behind the physical mask.
Chapter 2
The traveler of thoughts and years, addressing the reader directly.
Vocalism
The speaker reflects on the power of voice and the journey to attain divine speech.
Vocalism
The speaker addresses the reader directly, describing the path to attaining the divine power to speak words.
The Call of the Right Voice
The speaker trembles at voices and seeks the right voice to follow.
To Him That Was Crucified
The speaker who addresses the crucified figure as a comrade and brother.
You Felons on Trial in Courts
The speaker confesses his own guilt and kinship with felons and prostitutes.
Laws for Creations
The voice that declares the laws for creations and addresses the reader directly.
To a Common Prostitute
The voice that appoints an appointment and charges the prostitute to be worthy to meet him.
I Was Looking a Long While
The speaker who has been searching for intentions and the clue to history.
Thought
The speaker who observes and critiques the hollow nature of worldly success.
Miracles
The narrator observes and celebrates the miracles in daily experiences and nature.
Sparkles from the Wheel
The observing self, withdrawn from the crowd, absorbed in the scene.
To a Pupil
Addresses the pupil directly, urging self-cultivation.
Unfolded Out of the Folds
The speaker articulates the unfolding of man from woman, grounding his own poems in this origin.
What Am I After All
The speaker revels in the sound of his own name, likening himself to a child.
Kosmos
The speaker describes the ideal 'Kosmos' person, who encompasses diversity, nature, and the unity of body and soul.
Others May Praise What They Like
The speaker who sets his own criteria for art, drawing from the western landscape.
Who Learns My Lesson Complete?
The speaker who lies abstracted, listens to beautiful tales, and affirms his own immortality and connection to all.
Tests
The voice asserting the primacy of inner tests over outer authorities.
The Torch
Observes the fishermen and the torch-lit canoe.
O Star of France
The speaker addresses France directly, expressing both lament and hope.
The Ox-Tamer
The speaker marvels at the ox-tamer's skill and envies his simple, profound connection with the animals.
An Old Man’s Thought of School
The old man who gathers youthful memories and perceives the deeper meaning of school.
Wandering at Morn
The narrator wanders at morn, emerging from night and gloomy thoughts, yearning for harmonious union and observing the thrush.
Italian Music in Dakota
The observing consciousness that hears and reflects on the music in the Dakota setting.
My Picture-Gallery
The speaker describes the picture-gallery and acts as the cicerone pointing to the pictures.
Proud Music of the Storm
The voice who hears and interprets the music of the storm and visions.
Proud Music of the Storm
The speaker who is seized and overpowered by the music of the storm and nature.
A Festival Song of the Soul
The speaking self who summons the soul and experiences the unfolding pageant.
Ah from a Little Child
The narrator recalls how all sounds became music from childhood, weaving together personal memory and global song.
Chapter 4: The Music of All Nations
The narrator hears and sees the music and dances of all nations, experiencing a blissful, ecstatic connection.
Chapter 5
The speaker who hears and absorbs the music of Europe and the world.
The Clue Found
Awakens from dream, questions its music, and resolves to go forth into the day.
Passage to India
The speaker who calls for a passage to India, celebrating modern marvels and guiding the soul's journey.
Song of the Exposition
The speaker sings of modern wonders and the soul's cry for the past.
Passage to India
The narrator addresses the soul and sings of a new worship encompassing all human endeavor.
Passage to India
The observing soul that beholds the twin tableaus of the Suez Canal and the Pacific railroad.
Passage to India!
The narrator reflects on the struggles of captains and sailors, and the unfolding of history.
O Vast Rondure
The narrator spans the Earth with thought, observing its beauty and hidden purpose.
Year of the Purpose Accomplish'd
The narrator walks the shores of America, beholding and resuming all the histories and geographies of the world.
Passage to Primal Thought
The narrator addresses the soul directly, guiding it on a voyage of discovery.
The Soul's Voyage to God
The speaker who initiates the voyage with his soul, expressing ecstasy and longing for the divine.
Passage to More than India
The speaker passionately addresses the soul, urging immediate departure on a boundless voyage.
Prayer of Columbus
The speaker is Columbus himself, recounting his suffering and devotion.
The Sleepers
The wandering consciousness that moves through the night, observing and merging with all sleepers.
The Sleepers
The visionary 'I' who wanders among the sleepers, merges with them, and becomes the other dreamers.
The Shroud and the Coffin
The narrator embodies the old woman, the widow, and the shroud, experiencing decay and death.
The Courageous Giant
Observes and describes the swimmer's struggle with emotional intensity.
Chapter 4
The narrator is present at the shipwreck, unable to aid, and later helps collect the dead.
The Red Squaw
The narrator recalls his mother's story about the red squaw.
The Sleepers
The narrator experiences a dream of unity and peace, expressing jealousy and friendliness toward the light and air.
The Sleepers
The narrator observes the sleepers and speaks of passing from the night, returning to it, and trusting in the maternal night.
Transpositions
The voice demanding societal transpositions.
To Think of Time
The narrator reflects on time, death, and the soul's journey.
To Think of Time
Reflects on time and existence, addressing the reader directly.
The Unceasing Cycle of Birth and Death
The narrator observes the unceasing cycle of life and death, describing the scene of a dying person and the living who attend them.
3
Reflects on death and the indifference of future generations to current human efforts.
A Reminiscence of the Vulgar Fate
Observes and recounts the funeral of the stage-driver, reflecting on the cycle of life and death.
Chapter 5
The narrator observes the fleeting importance of daily life and work.
Chapter 6
The narrator speaks with certainty, affirming the reality of life and the self.
The Law of Identity and Transformation
The narrator addresses the reader directly, affirming their unique identity and the fulfillment of long preparations.
The Law of Identity and the Goodness of the Universe
The narrator dreams of the universal law governing all people and walks confidently toward the unknown, affirming the goodness of the universe.
Chapter 9
The speaker who swears to the eternal soul in all existence.
Whispers of Heavenly Death
The narrator reflects on the whispers of death and the journey beyond.
Darest Thou Now O Soul
The speaker who dares the soul to embark on a journey into the unknown.
Whispers of Heavenly Death
The voice that hears the whispers and observes the celestial scene.
Chanting the Square Deific
The narrator speaks as each side of the square deific, embodying Jehovah, Christ, Satan, and Santa Spirita.
Chanting the Square Deific
The narrator speaks as the square deific, embodying multiple divine personas.
Consolator Most Mild
The narrator speaks as the consolator, absorbing sorrow and labor, and proclaiming an undying love and wisdom.
Santa Spirita
The narrator embodies the universal soul, speaking as the 'general soul' that pervades all life.
Of Him I Love Day and Night
The dreamer who searches for the beloved and comes to a new acceptance of death.
Yet, Yet, Ye Downcast Hours
The speaker who acknowledges the downcast hours and the weight of lead at his ankles, yet cannot provide comfort to those who cry out for answers about their destination.
As if a Phantom Caress’d Me
The speaker who walks by the shore, reflecting on loss and isolation.
Assurances
The speaker asserts his pre-occupation with his own soul and his limitless nature.
Quicksand Years
The speaker reflects on the whirl of quicksand years and the failure of external systems.
That Music Always Round Me
The speaker who now hears the unceasing music and is elated by its meanings.
What Ship Puzzled at Sea
Offers himself as the perfect pilot to guide the ship.
A Noiseless Patient Spider
Observes the spider and reflects on his own soul's quest for connection.
O Living Always, Always Dying
Reflects on the burials of past selves and strides ahead, content to leave corpses behind.
To One Shortly to Die
The speaker who singles out the dying person, offering love, truth, and absolution.
Night on the Prairies
Walks alone on the prairie, observes the stars, and reflects on immortality and death.
Thought
The speaker who sits at a feast and is haunted by visions of a wreck at sea.
The Last Invocation
The speaker who implores the soul to be wafted forth from the fortress of the body.
As I Watch’d the Ploughman Ploughing
The observer who watches the ploughman, sower, and harvester, and interprets their actions as metaphors for life and death.
Pensive and Faltering
The speaker who pensively writes for the dead, feeling like a spectre.
Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood
The voice that announces and celebrates the nation's identity and destiny.
Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood
The speaker who addresses America and sings of the future.
As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free
The speaker who brings a new recitative for America, drawing from the natural world.
Brain of the New World
The voice addressing the 'Brain of the New World' and articulating the task of formulating the modern.
Beautiful World of New Superber Birth
The narrator observes and prophesies the future world, expressing awe and uncertainty about its undefined greatness.
Land Tolerating All
Speaks prophetically to America, describing its trials and ultimate transcendence.
A Paumanok Picture
The observing presence who describes the fishermen and their activity.
From Noon to Starry Night
The observing voice that transitions from the vitality of noon to the introspection of night.
Thou Orb Aloft Full-Dazzling
The speaker who invokes the sun and reflects on his own aging and mortality.
Faces
The observing consciousness that saunters and reflects on the faces seen.
Faces
Observes and reflects on the multitude of faces, expressing contentment with all.
Chapter 2
The narrator observes and describes the faces with revulsion and judgment.
Chapter 3
The speaker sees through the disguises of decay and affirms the enduring, equal essence of all beings.
The Lord Advances
The speaker observes the advancing Lord, interprets the faces, and proclaims the deific nature of all people.
The Justified Mother of Men
Observes and describes the scene, expressing contentment and reverence for the mother figure.
The Mystic Trumpeter
The listener and translator of the trumpeter's music, experiencing visions of love, war, despair, and ultimate joy.
The Wild Trumpeter
The listener who catches the notes of the wild trumpeter.
Come Nearer Bodiless One
The speaker who invokes and translates the ghostly music.
Blow Trumpeter Free and Clear
The narrator is the one who follows the trumpeter and experiences spiritual liberation.
Blow Again Trumpeter!
The speaker who commands the trumpeter and observes the feudal visions.
Blow Again Trumpeter!
The speaker who calls upon the trumpeter and observes the immortal phantoms and the alembic of love.
Blow Again Trumpeter
The narrator observes and describes the scenes of war and disaster conjured by the trumpeter's music.
The Trumpet's Lament
The narrator identifies as the instrument played by the trumpeter, experiencing collective human suffering and resilience.
The Trumpet of Joy and Prophecy
The speaker who implores the trumpeter for a prophetic and joyful song.
To a Locomotive in Winter
The speaker addresses the locomotive directly, invoking it as a muse for poetic recitative.
O Magnet-South
The speaker returns with his soul to haunt the banks of Southern rivers and expresses a deep yearning for his homeland.
Mannahatta
The speaker who asks for something specific and perfect for his city and joyfully describes its features.
All Is Truth
The speaker who moves from slack faith to a realization of universal truth.
A Riddle Song
The voice that invokes and challenges the riddle, speaking of 'you and I' pursuing the elusive essence.
Excelsior
The speaker asserts himself as the happiest, proudest, and most ambitious being, driven to exceed all human limits.
Ah Poverties, Wincings, and Sulky Retreats
The speaker recounts personal defeats and asserts the eventual triumph of the real self.
Thoughts
The voice contemplating public opinion and the power of the people.
Weave In, My Hardy Life
The speaker urges the self to weave strength, senses, and endurance into life, reflecting on the unknown purpose but the ongoing need for work.
By Broad Potomac’s Shore
The speaker who addresses the shore, the old tongue, and the spring, seeking to imbue his book with nature's elements.
From Far Dakota’s Canyons
The speaker reflects on the battle and Custer's death, finding a lesson and a triumphal sonnet in the defeat.
Old War-Dreams
The speaker who dreams of war scenes and recalls moving through carnage with composure.
Thick-Sprinkled Bunting
The speaker addresses the flag directly, prophesying its ultimate triumph.
What Best I See in Thee
The speaker addresses U. S. Grant directly, offering a personal reflection on what is most admirable in him.
Spirit That Form’d This Scene
The speaker communes with the savage spirit of nature and defends his chants.
As I Walk These Broad Majestic Days
The poet walks through the broad majestic days of peace, observing the world's achievements and asserting his own realities.
A Clear Midnight
The speaker addresses the soul directly, guiding it into a state of silent contemplation.
Songs of Parting
The voice reflecting on parting and the soul's journey.
As the Time Draws Nigh
The speaker reflects on the impending end of life and the journey ahead.
Years of the Modern
The speaker observes the unfolding modern era, feeling penetrated by prophetic dreams and the rush of unperformed events.
Ashes of Soldiers
The poet who muses retrospectively, chants for the dead, and invites the phantoms to become his companions.
Thoughts
The narrator observes and sings of America's convulsive pains, the struggle for unity, and the democratic masses, while holding faith in the results of war and the transition of death.
Of These Years I Sing
The voice that sings of the years and observes the struggle and promise of America.
2
The narrator reflects on the unnamed lost, the present passing, and the spiritual results to come, expressing a native scorn of grossness and gain.
Song at Sunset
The speaker who sings with gladness and celebrates the self and the universe.
As at Thy Portals Also Death
The speaker who enters Death's portals and mourns his mother.
My Legacy
The speaker surveys his life and prepares to leave a legacy of songs and war remembrances.
Camps of Green
The speaker reflects on the camps of war and the camps of green, addressing fellow soldiers.
As They Draw to a Close
Reflects on his aims and the seed he sought to plant in his songs.
Joy, Shipmate, Joy!
The speaker cries out in joy at the moment of death, expressing a soul-deep pleasure.
The Untold Want
The voice that addresses the voyager, urging them to seek the untold want.
Portals
Poses rhetorical questions about the purpose of portals.
These Carols
The voice who sings carols to cheer his passage through the world.
Now Finalè to the Shore
The narrator addresses the voyager, urging departure and farewell.
So Long!
The speaker announces his departure and reflects on his journey, offering a final farewell to the reader.
Sands at Seventy
The reflective voice of the aging poet, contemplating life and death.
Mannahatta
The speaker who resumes and praises the aboriginal name of the city.
From Montauk Point
The speaker stands at Montauk Point, observing the sea and sky.
To Those Who’ve Fail’d
The speaker who vows to honor the failed and fallen.
A Carol Closing Sixty-Nine
The speaker presents a personal résumé at age sixty-nine, acknowledging his paralyzed body but affirming his joyful heart and undiminished faith.
The Bravest Soldiers
The voice that declares the bravest soldiers are those who fell unnamed.
A Font of Type
The narrator observes and describes the latent power within the font of type.
As I Sit Writing Here
The speaker, sick and grown old, laments the physical and emotional toll of aging.
My Canary Bird
The speaker who questions the soul about the greatness of intellectual pursuits versus the simple joy of the bird's song.
Queries to My Seventieth Year
The speaker reflects on his own aging and mortality, questioning what his seventieth year will bring.
The Wallabout Martyrs
The voice that elevates the unknown patriots above legendary figures, speaking from a present perspective.
The First Dandelion
The observing voice that presents the dandelion's emergence.
Memories
The narrator engages in silent backward tracings and dreamlike wanderings.
To-day and Thee
The voice that proclaims the inheritance of all past ages for the present day and the reader.
After the Dazzle of Day
The speaker reflects on the transition from day's dazzle to night's stillness, perceiving a deeper truth.
Out of May’s Shows Selected
The observing presence that selects and describes the May scenes.
Halcyon Days
The speaker reflects on the quiet, blissful days of life's twilight, finding contentment beyond worldly achievements.
Fancies at Navesink
The speaker reflects on past voyages, the sea's power, and his own life summed up, ultimately finding meaning in the ocean's ebb and flow.
The Pilot in the Mist
The narrator experiences a sudden memory-flash of piloting through northern rapids, pressing through foam-dashed rocks.
Had I the Choice
The speaker who contemplates the value of poetic tradition versus natural inspiration.
You Tides with Ceaseless Swell
The voice questioning the cosmic forces and their significance.
Last of Ebb, and Daylight Waning
The observing voice that hears the half-caught voices and confessions from the eddies.
And Yet Not You Alone
The speaker addresses twilight, ebb, and lost designs, weaving them into a cosmic rhythm.
Proudly the Flood Comes In
The observing voice that describes the flood and the bustling scene.
By That Long Scan of Waves
The narrator reflects on his past, summing up his life and contemplating his place in the cosmos.
Then Last of All
The speaker reflects on being enclosed and shaped by the tides, embodying the mystic human meaning.
Election Day, November, 1884
The speaker who names and elevates Election Day as the greatest scene of the Western world.
With Husky-Haughty Lips, O Sea!
The speaker who observes and interprets the sea's moods and confessions.
Death of General Grant
The speaker observes the passing of General Grant and reflects on his place in history.
Red Jacket (from Aloft)
The observing voice that interprets the scene and imagines Red Jacket's spirit aloft.
Of That Blithe Throat of Thine
The speaker who learns from the snow-bird and resolves to sing with gay heart despite old age and cold.
Broadway
The observing voice that contemplates the human tides and dramas of Broadway.
To Get the Final Lilt of Songs
The speaker who seeks the final understanding of songs and poets.
Old Salt Kossabone
The speaker who relates the story of Old Salt Kossabone, noting their familial connection on his mother's side.
The Dead Tenor
Reflects on the dead tenor's voice and its impact on his soul and art.
Continuities
The speaker recounts a talk with a German spiritualist and delivers a message of cosmic continuity.
Yonnondio
The speaker who observes and laments the passing of the aboriginal peoples.
Life
The voice observes and affirms the enduring, struggling soul of man.
Going Somewhere
The speaker who memorializes the conversation with his friend.
Small the Theme of My Chant
The speaker who declares the theme of the chant and invites the reader to journey together.
True Conquerors
The speaker reflects on the quiet heroism of ordinary survivors.
The Calming Thought of All
The observing voice that reflects on the constancy of nature amidst human change.
Thanks in Old Age
Expresses gratitude for life, memories, and the embrace of unseen readers.
Life and Death
The voice contemplating the eternal problems of life and death.
The Voice of the Rain
The speaker who addresses the rain and receives its answer.
Soon Shall the Winter’s Foil Be Here
The speaker addresses the reader directly, urging them to awaken to the beauty of the natural world.
The Dying Veteran
Recalls the incident from his boyhood.
Stronger Lessons
The voice posing the rhetorical questions about learning from rejection and opposition.
A Prairie Sunset
The observer who describes the sunset's colors and the struggle between light and shadow.
Twenty Years
The narrator sits on the wharf, observing and conversing with the returned sailor.
Orange Buds by Mail from Florida
The speaker who receives and reflects on the orange buds as a symbol of America.
Twilight
The speaker contemplates their own disappearance, mirroring the setting sun.
You Lingering Sparse Leaves of Me
The speaker reflects on his own sparse, lingering leaves as winter approaches.
Not Meagre, Latent Boughs Alone
The speaker addresses the songs, expressing hope for future flourishing.
As the Greek's Signal Flame
The speaker who lifts a signal flame in honor of the old poet.
The Dismantled Ship
The narrator observes the dismantled ship, reflecting on its past glory and present decay.
Now Precedent Songs, Farewell
The speaker reflects on his own life's blood and personal urge behind each song.
An Evening Lull
Experiences physical anguish and feverish heat before finding peace.
Old Age’s Lambent Peaks
The reflective voice contemplating the heightened vision of old age.
After the Supper and Talk
The speaker who experiences the emotional farewell and reflects on the difficulty of parting.
Goodbye My Fancy
The speaker bids farewell to his fancy, embodying the poet's voice at the close of his journey.
Preface Note to 2nd Annex
The speaker reflects on his old age, paralysis, and the decision to publish final poetic fragments.
Sail Out for Good, Eidólon Yacht!
Commands the eidólon yacht to sail out for good, rejecting earthly ties.
Lingering Last Drops
The narrator questions the origin and purpose of the lingering drops, embodying a reflective and inquisitive voice.
Good-Bye My Fancy
The speaker who addresses his own fancy, preparing to part ways.
On, on the Same, Ye Jocund Twain!
The speaker who chants his life, recitative, and nation's crucial stage.
My 71st Year
The speaker, now in his seventy-first year, reflects on his life's trials and continues to report and salute.
Apparitions
The voice reflecting on the misty, apparition-like quality of existence.
The Pallid Wreath
The speaker who cannot let go of the wreath and recalls the vision of the friend.
An Ended Day
The voice observing and celebrating the end of the day.
Old Age’s Ship & Crafty Death’s
The speaker who challenges the approaching ships of old age and death, embracing the final race.
To the Pending Year
The speaker who questions his own readiness and rebukes his rebellious self.
Shakespeare-Bacon’s Cipher
The voice expressing doubt and revelation about hidden meanings.
Long, Long Hence
The speaker contemplates the long journey of his work toward future recognition.
Bravo, Paris Exposition!
The narrator speaks as part of 'we' representing America's sentiment.
Interpolation Sounds
The speaker who perceives the interpolation sounds of battle during the burial.
To the Sun-Set Breeze
The speaker, old and alone, receives the breeze as a companion and healer.
Old Chants
The voice musing on the ancient songs and addressing America.
A Christmas Greeting
The speaker extends a greeting and expresses democratic faith.
Sounds of the Winter
The observing voice that captures the winter sounds and asserts ongoing vitality.
A Twilight Song
The speaker who muses alone by the fire and recalls the fallen soldiers.
When the Full-Grown Poet Came
The full-grown poet who stands as blender and uniter between Nature and the Soul.
Osceola
The narrator recalls meeting a U.S. Marine and learning the story of Osceola's death.
A Voice from Death
The voice that chants the poem, reflecting on the disaster and the forgotten power of elemental forces.
The Commonplace
The speaker who sings of the commonplace and democratic wisdom.
The Rounded Catalogue Divine Complete
The narrator observes the minister's sermon and offers a contrasting vision of the divine catalogue.
Mirages
The speaker who describes the mirages and their vivid details.
L. of G.'s Purport
The speaker who has pursued the song from youth to old age, now facing death.
The Unexpress’d
The voice that questions and reflects on the limits of expression.
Grand Is the Seen
The speaker reflects on the seen world and the unseen soul, addressing the soul directly.
Unseen Buds
The observing voice that perceives and describes the hidden buds.
Goodbye My Fancy!
The speaker addresses his own fancy, reflecting on their shared life and impending separation.
Old Age Echoes
The reflective voice contemplating old age and the echoes of life.
To Soar in Freedom and in Fullness of Power
The speaker expresses personal preference for wild freedom over tame sweetness.
Then Shall Perceive
The voice that addresses the reader, urging sensory awakening.
One Thought Ever at the Fore
The voice that proclaims the unifying thought.
While Behind All Firm and Erect
Describes the scene of the helmsman's resolve.
A Kiss to the Bride
The poet speaks as the conduit for a million hearts and hands, offering blessings and the nation's kiss.
Nay, Tell Me Not To-day the Publish’d Shame
The speaker who refuses to read the day's scandalous news and instead broods upon the hidden virtues of the people.
Supplement Hours
The speaker reflects on the later, culminating hours of life, moving away from intellectual pursuits to embrace nature and the cosmos.
Of Many a Smutch’d Deed Reminiscent
The speaker reflects on their own wickedness and capacity for worse deeds, yet finds peace through love.
To Be at All
The speaker reflects on the wonder of existence and his own sensory connection to the universe.
Death's Valley
The speaker who has hovered by death's valley and witnessed many deaths, now crafting a song of peaceful acceptance.
On the Same Picture
The speaker observes and reflects on the universal descent into death's valley.
A Thought of Columbus
The speaker reflects on Columbus's thought and its world-changing impact, addressing the discoverer directly.
A Backward Glance O'er Travel'd Roads
The reflective voice looking back over the journey of creating 'Leaves of Grass'.
Chapter companion notes
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