The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [begin page 251] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HOW SOLEMN AS ONE BY ONE.
(Washington City, 1865.)
HOW solemn as one by one,
As the ranks returning worn and sweaty, as the men file by where
I stand,
I stand,
As the faces the masks appear, as I glance at the faces studying the
masks,
masks,
(As I glance upward out of this page studying you, dear friend,
whoever you are,)
whoever you are,)
How solemn the thought of my whispering soul to each in the
ranks, and to you,
ranks, and to you,
I see behind each mask that wonder a kindred soul,
O the bullet could never kill what you really are, dear friend,
Nor the bayonet stab what you really are;
The soul! yourself I see, great as any, good as the best,
Waiting secure and content, which the bullet could never kill,
Nor the bayonet stab O friend.