# The General — Leaves of Grass character guide

> The General in Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** The general, the General, The General

**First appearance:** 0047-song-of-myself

## Who they are

A military commander referenced in a war context.

## Relationships

### [Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/characters/narrator)

_professional_

The General is a military leader whom the narrator addresses with respect and a sense of shared purpose.

## In the story

### [The Universal Self](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters/33)

The narrator recalls a dying general who gasps 'Mind not me—mind—the entrenchments' during a bombardment.

### [From Pent-Up Aching Rivers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters/from-pent-up-aching-rivers)

Mentioned as commanding the speaker, from whom permission is taken, representing a higher power or destiny.

### [I Saw Old General at Bay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters/i-saw-old-general-at-bay)

The old general at bay, with gray eyes shining like stars, commands a small hemmed-in force and calls for volunteers for a desperate mission.

### [The Dying Veteran](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters/the-dying-veteran)

Implied as Washington, under whom the veteran served.

### [Interpolation Sounds](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters/interpolation-sounds)

The mounted general in the battle scene, issuing orders amid the chaos.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/characters/the_general
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leaves_of_grass_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/characters