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by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892)

Yet, yet, ye downcast hours, I know ye...
Language: English 
Yet, yet, ye downcast hours, I know ye also,
Weights of lead, how ye clog and cling at my ankles,
Earth to a chamber of mourning turns—I hear the o'erweening,  mocking voice,
Matter is conqueror—matter, triumphant only, continues onward.
Despairing cries float ceaselessly toward me,
The call of my nearest lover, putting forth, alarm'd, uncertain,
The sea I am quickly to sail, come tell me,
Come tell me where I am speeding, tell me my destination.
I understand your anguish, but I cannot help you,
I approach, hear, behold, the sad mouth, the look out of the eyes,  your mute inquiry,
Whither I go from the bed I recline on, come tell me;
Old age, alarm'd, uncertain—a young woman's voice, appealing  to me for comfort;
A young man's voice, Shall I not escape?

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), appears in Leaves of Grass, in Whispers of Heavenly Death, first published 1881 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Georgia Spiropoulos (b. 1965), no title, 1994 [ female voice, clarinets, trombone, viola, percussion and tape ], from Vocalscapes on Walt Whitman, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-20
Line count: 13
Word count: 133

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