Leaves of Grass, Shakespeare-Bacon’s Cipher summary
Shakespeare-Bacon’s Cipher of 358 · Book 5: Calamus · 1 min to read the chapter
In Shakespeare-Bacon’s Cipher, the speaker accepts the idea of a hidden cipher and extends it beyond old songs and written works to objects, nature, birth, and life. The poem presents hidden meaning as something that belongs to each thing and develops from it, rather than remaining only a question of unexpected authorship.
What happens
- The speaker opens with confidence and claims something beyond the initial idea.
- Old songs and valued texts contain something previously unrecognized, perhaps an unexpected author.
- The speaker extends this hidden element to objects, mountains, trees, stars, birth, and life.
- A mysterious cipher exists within each thing, carrying meaning beneath its outward appearance.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The closing statement gathers writing, nature, and life under one claim: each contains a concealed meaning.
Quick check
Where does the speaker locate a hidden cipher?
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