From Song of Myself –Walt Whitman
52: The Spotted Hawk Swoops By
The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains
of my gab and my loitering.
I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,
I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.
The last scud of day holds back for me,
It flings my likeness after the rest and true as any on the shadow'd wilds,
It coaxes me to the vapor and the dusk.
I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.
Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.
From Song of Myself –Walt Whitman
52: The Spotted Hawk Swoops By
The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains
of my gab and my loitering.
The spotted hawk screeches at me, because I am too talkative and lazy
I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,
I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.
I behave and sound just as wild as the hawk; no one can comprehend me
The last scud of day holds back for me,
It flings my likeness after the rest and true as any on the shadow'd wilds,
It coaxes me to the vapor and the dusk.
The “day” of my life is ending and fading into “night”
I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.
I shake my head at the sun as my soul turns to air and my body to the rivers
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
I give myself to the earth; you will always find me under your feet now.
You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.
I’ll become nourishment for all other people, even if you don’t know about it.
Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.
Keep trying if you can’t find me; I’ll eventually see all of you again in death.
Whitman Reference Webquest
At the end of Song of Myself, Whitman urges readers to “seek him out.” Although
Whitman wants us to look for him in nature, you can also find him in the poems of
others. Throughout the twentieth century, many poets – from Ezra Pound to Allen
Ginsberg – address or refer to Whitman in their poems. Online, search for a modern
poem that includes a reference to Whitman. Write a one-page response discussing
how the poem relates to Whitman and his themes. Be sure to identify the poem by
title and author, include a brief summary or translation, AND discuss the relation to
Whitman’s themes.