Published Works

Books by Whitman

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Voices.

1NOW I make a leaf of Voices—for I have found nothing
mightier than they are,

And I have found that no word spoken, but is beautiful,
in its place.

2O what is it in me that makes me tremble so at voices?

Surely, whoever speaks to me in the right voice, him or
her I shall follow,

As the water follows the moon, silently, with fluid steps,
anywhere around the globe.

3All waits for the right voices;

Where is the practis'd and perfect organ? Where is
the develop'd Soul?

For I see every word utter'd thence, has deeper, sweeter,
new sounds, impossible on less terms.

4I see brains and lips closed—tympans and temples
unstruck,

Until that comes which has the quality to strike and to
unclose,

Until that comes which has the quality to bring forth
what lies slumbering, forever ready, in all words.

Distributed under a Creative Commons License. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price, editors.