As The Time Draws Nigh

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




   AS the time draws nigh, glooming, a cloud,
   A dread beyond, of I know not what, darkens me.

   I shall go forth,
   I shall traverse The States awhile--but I cannot tell whither or how
         long;
   Perhaps soon, some day or night while I am singing, my voice will
         suddenly cease.

   O book, O chants! must all then amount to but this?
   Must we barely arrive at this beginning of us?... And yet it is
         enough, O soul!
   O soul! we have positively appear'd--that is enough.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

26 sec read
91

Quick analysis:

Scheme XX XXXXX XXXX
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 499
Words 87
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 2, 5, 4

Walt Whitman

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

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