1
AT the last, tenderly,
From the walls of the powerful, fortress’d house,
From the clasp of the knitted locks—from the keep of the well-closed doors,
Let me be wafted.

2
Let me glide noiselessly forth;
With the key of softness unlock the locks—with a whisper,
Set ope the doors, O Soul!

3
Tenderly! be not impatient!
(Strong is your hold, O mortal flesh!
Strong is your hold, O love.)

Analysis, meaning and summary of Walt Whitman's poem Last Invocation, The.

1 Comment

  1. Megz says:

    I’m a yr 12 english student, and I came across this poem by Walt Whitman. I personally thought it is one of his finest pieces of work that I have read so. I prefer poems around this length than those that go on and on, because they’re so descriptive, yet so powerful at the same time. It’s a pity that Walt is not around today to write about society.

    What I really liked about ‘The Last Invocation’ was how Walt ended the poem with such meaningful words (tenderly- be not impatient). He’s telling us that if we approach things gently and be patient things will come.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Do you have any comments, criticism, paraphrasis or analysis of this poem that you feel would assist other visitors in understanding the meaning or the theme of this poem by Walt Whitman better? If accepted, your analysis will be added to this page of American Poems. Together we can build a wealth of information, but it will take some discipline and determination.