Analysis of To A Common Prostitute

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




To a Common Prostitute

BE composed--be at ease with me--I am Walt Whitman, liberal and lusty
         as Nature;
   Not till the sun excludes you, do I exclude you;
   Not till the waters refuse to glisten for you, and the leaves to
         rustle for you, do my words refuse to glisten and rustle for
         you.

My girl, I appoint with you an appointment--and I charge you that you
         make preparation to be worthy to meet me,
   And I charge you that you be patient and perfect till I come.

Till then, I salute you with a significant look, that you do not
         forget me.


Scheme X AXBBXB BAX XA
Poetic Form
Metre 101010 1011111111110100010 110 110101111011 1101001110110011 1011111011100101 1 11101111010011111 10101110111 011111110001111 11101110010011111 011
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 593
Words 105
Sentences 4
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 1, 6, 3, 2
Lines Amount 12
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 103
Words per stanza (avg) 26
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 10, 2023

31 sec read
305

Walt Whitman

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

All Walt Whitman poems | Walt Whitman Books

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