Day 1: Poem #1
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To You
"Stranger, if you passing meet me and desire to speak to me,
why should you not speak to me?
And why should I not speak to you?"
- Walt Whitman, from Leaves of Grass (1892)It's a shame that I can't put the entire first line all in one line. Whitman was known for having unusually long lines in his unique style of free verse poetry. Also, I'm not sure when exactly Whitman wrote To You, but 1892 was when Whitman died, which was when he finished revising and adding new poems to his collection of poems (I believe the book was first published around 1853 or 1855).
Anyways, I can draw out a sense of regret from this short poem. One can miss a great opportunity for a new friendship or romance by simply refusing to speak a word to another "stranger." Also, I can see that Whitman discusses a familiar and common event in one's daily life (which he is also famous for) in this poem, but it still fascinated me because it lets the reader pick his/her perspective, and yet either one shares a mutual problem-- hesitation.
What are some thoughts do you guys have after reading this poem?