A Noiseless Patient Spider
A
NOISELESS,
patient
spider,
I
mark'd,
where,
on
a
little
promontory,
it
stood,
isolated;
Mark'd
how,
to
explore
the
vacant,
vast
surrounding,
It
launch'd
forth
filament,
filament,
filament,
out
of
itself;
Ever
unreeling
them—ever
tirelessly
speeding
them.
And
you,
O
my
Soul,
where
you
stand,
Surrounded,
surrounded,
in
measureless
oceans
of
space,
Ceaselessly
musing,
venturing,
throwing,—seeking
the
spheres,
to
connect
them;
Till
the
bridge
you
will
need,
be
form'd—till
the
ductile
anchor
hold;
Till
the
gossamer
thread
you
fling,
catch
somewhere,
O
my
Soul.
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman, (born May 31, 1819, West Hills, Long Island, New York, U.S.—died March 26, 1892, Camden, New Jersey), American poet, journalist, and essayist whose verse collection Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, is a landmark in the history of American literature. Walt Whitman’s poetry was innovative for its verse style and for the way it challenged traditional narratives. He championed the individual soul over social conventions, presenting himself as a rough and free spirit. His poetry has continued to resonate with new generations of Americans, and he is considered a symbol of American democracy.