Out From Behind His Mask

Walt Whitman 1819 (West Hills) – 1892 (Camden)




   OUT from behind this bending, rough-cut Mask,
   (All straighter, liker Masks rejected--this preferr'd,)
   This common curtain of the face, contain'd in me for me, in you for
         you, in each for each,
   (Tragedies, sorrows, laughter, tears--O heaven!
   The passionate, teeming plays this curtain hid!)
   This glaze of God's serenest, purest sky,
   This film of Satan's seething pit,
   This heart's geography's map--this limitless small continent--this
         soundless sea;
   Out from the convolutions of this globe,
   This subtler astronomic orb than sun or moon--than Jupiter, Venus,
         Mars;                                                        10
   This condensation of the Universe--(nay, here the only Universe,
   Here the IDEA--all in this mystic handful wrapt;)
   These burin'd eyes, flashing to you, to pass to future time,
   To launch and spin through space revolving, sideling--from these to
         emanate,
   To You, whoe'er you are--a Look.

   A Traveler of thoughts and years--of peace and war,
   Of youth long sped, and middle age declining,
   (As the first volume of a tale perused and laid away, and this the
         second,
   Songs, ventures, speculations, presently to close,)
   Lingering a moment, here and now, to You I opposite turn,          20
   As on the road, or at some crevice door, by chance, or open'd window,
   Pausing, inclining, baring my head, You specially I greet,
   To draw and clench your Soul, for once, inseparably with mine,
   Then travel, travel on.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:09 min read
76

Quick analysis:

Scheme XABXXXXXXXXXXXAXXXX BXXXXXXXXX
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,514
Words 224
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 19, 10

Walt Whitman

Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. more…

All Walt Whitman poems | Walt Whitman Books

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