Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, O ME! O LIFE!, by WALT WHITMAN


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

O ME! O LIFE!, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: O me! O life! Of the questions of these recurring
Last Line: That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.


O me! O life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd
with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish
than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean,
of the struggle ever renew'd,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid
crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest
me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring -- What good amid
these, O me, O life?

ANSWER

That you are here -- that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net