NOW 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.

O 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.

All 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.

I 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.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Walt Whitman's poem Voices.

4 Comments

  1. Luiza Provedel says:

    No, not confusing, no. This poem is about how voices can transform words, no better than transform, how they can “bring forth what lies slumbering, forever ready,
    in
    all
    words.”

  2. bird fancy says:

    i dont particularly like this poem..
    nothing much stands out about it, exceptfor the state of confusion after reading…

  3. kelly says:

    i love this poem, i don’t care what others say about it. this is what i got out of it: the things other people say influence us, but don’t let them change who you are. choose for yourself what you want to believe and make sure it’s valid.

  4. brenda garcia says:

    I think this is a confusing poem. It is not a very popular poem. It is interesting, but it confuses me…..

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