Leaves of Grass, Part 150 summary
Part 150 of 358 · Book 5: Calamus · 2 min to read the part
In Come up from the Fields Father, a daughter calls her parents to read a letter reporting Pete’s chest wound, breaking the calm of their prosperous Ohio farm. Although the letter offers hope, the speaker reveals that Pete is already dead, and his mother sinks into grief and longs to join him.
What happens
- A daughter calls her father from the fields and her mother to the door because a letter from Pete arrives.
- Autumn fruit, bright leaves, and clear skies surround the prosperous Ohio farm.
- The mother discovers unfamiliar handwriting and reads that Pete suffers a chest wound during a cavalry skirmish.
- The daughter points to the letter’s hopeful report, while the younger sisters gather silently around their mother.
- The speaker reveals that Pete is already dead as his family stands at home.
- The mother leaves food untouched, sleeps poorly, and longs to leave life and be with her son.
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In this part
What to notice
The speaker overturns the letter’s promise of recovery. The family’s hopeful reading exists alongside a death they do not yet know about.
Quick check
What makes the mother realize someone else writes Pete’s letter?
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