by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892)

Youth, Day, Old Age, and Night
 (Sung text for setting by N. Rorem)
 Matches original text
Language: English 
Youth, large, lusty, loving --
  Youth full of grace, force, fascination!
Do you know that Old Age may come after you,
  with equal grace, force, fascination?

Day, full-blown and splendid -- 
  Day of the immense sun, action, ambition, laughter.
The Night follows close, with millions of suns, 
  and sleep, and restoring darkness.

Composition:

    Set to music by Ned Rorem (1923 - 2022), "Youth, Day, Old Age, and Night", published 1957 [ high voice and piano ]

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 50