Friday, July 21, 2006

A Noiseless Patient Spider
by Walt Whitman

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, detached, 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.

7 comments:

Mike said...

I am a huge fan of Whitman. Thanks for posting!

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Thanks Mike. Me too.

Bob said...

Walt -my favourite poet when I was a young man...and one who has been set by many composers.
Great poem.

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Yes indeed Rob.

CE said...

I have to read this poem again and again to understand it.
I guess everybody his own or favorite way of looking at things.
Sometimes I am just to tired to think. And just try to observe what is going on.

Darlene said...

Oh, how I love this. I fell in love with Whitman as a child, but never read this one.

The way he anthropomorphises the spider, I see myself in it, always spinning my web, sending out feelers, trying to latch onto something where I can finally feel staid enough to find self-confidence and serenity of soul.

May our gossamer threads find guidance so they can catch where we need them the most.

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Thanks Imemine and Darlene.

It is an interesting poem...catches you in its web so to speak.

Whitman makes draws a connection between the soul (mind ro spirit as well) and the spider; both spin webs. It's a beauty.

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