Leaves of Grass, Part 44 summary
Part 44 of 358 · Book 5: Calamus · 2 min to read the part
In Whoever You Are Holding Me Now in Hand, the speaker warns a reader that following him demands complete devotion and a break with familiar beliefs. He offers secret bodily closeness but rejects the idea that reading, praise, or study guarantees understanding, ending by asking the reader to leave.
What happens
- The speaker warns the person holding him that he differs from expectations and that following him carries uncertain risks.
- He demands exclusive devotion and the abandonment of established beliefs, then asks the reader to put him down.
- He imagines private outdoor meetings where he offers a kiss as both husband and comrade.
- He invites the reader to carry him beneath clothing, close to the heart or hip.
- He warns that study and admiration cannot capture him, acknowledges his poems can harm, and again asks the reader to leave.
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In this part
Quick check
Where does the speaker say he lies silent and lifeless?
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