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Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Leaves of Grass is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Leaves of Grass
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Song of the Universal
Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.
In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.
By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.
Lo!
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Leaves of Grass

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Leaves of Grass is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Song of the Universal
/sɔːŋ ʌv ðə ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəl/
Line 2
Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.
/kʌm sed ðə mjuːz sɪŋ miː ə sɔːŋ noʊ ˈpoʊət jet hæz ˈtʃæntɪd sɪŋ miː ðə ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəl/
Line 3
In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.
Line 4
By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.
Line 5
Lo!

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

central adjective US /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading “In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.”

chanted adjective US /ˈtʃæntɪd/

sung or uttered rhythmically in a monotone

From this reading “Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.”

Enclosed adjective US /enˈkloʊzd/

closed in or surrounded or included within

From this reading “In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.”

Muse noun US /mjuːz/

in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science

From this reading “Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.”

Nestles noun US /ˈnesəlz/

plural of “nestle” — a close and affectionate (and often prolonged) embrace

From this reading “In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.”

perfection noun US /pərˈfekʃən/

the state of being without a flaw or defect

From this reading “In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.”

seed noun US /siːd/

a small hard fruit

From this reading “In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.”

slag noun US /slæɡ/

the scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals

From this reading “In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.”

All words in this reading · 50

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

AmidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/

in the middle of; surrounded by

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

broadadjectiveUS /brɔːd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

centraladjectiveUS /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

chantedadjectiveUS /ˈtʃæntɪd/

sung or uttered rhythmically in a monotone

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

conceal'd

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

EnclosedadjectiveUS /enˈkloʊzd/

closed in or surrounded or included within

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

grossnessnoun

the quality of lacking taste and refinement

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

Lo

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Lo!

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

measurelessadjective

without limits in extent or size or quantity

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

MusenounUS /mjuːz/

in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

NestlesnounUS /ˈnesəlz/

plural of “nestle” — a close and affectionate (and often prolonged) embrace

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

NonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Song of the Universal

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

ourspronounUS /ˈaʊərz/

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

perfectionnounUS /pərˈfekʃən/

the state of being without a flaw or defect

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

poetnounUS /ˈpoʊət/

a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

safeadjectiveUS /seɪf/

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

seednounUS /siːd/

a small hard fruit

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

shareverbUS /ʃer/

have in common

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

SingverbUS /sɪŋ/

deliver by singing

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

slagnounUS /slæɡ/

the scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

SongnounUS /sɔːŋ/

a short musical composition with words

From this reading Song of the Universal

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Song of the Universal

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

unconceal'd

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

UniversaladjectiveUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəl/

of worldwide scope or applicability

From this reading Song of the Universal

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading By every life a share or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal’d or unconceal’d the seed is waiting.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading In this broad earth of ours, Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart, Nestles the seed perfection.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Come said the Muse, Sing me a song no poet yet has chanted, Sing me the universal.

Chapter 17 of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman holds 169 sentences, grouped into 34 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 17 of Leaves of Grass contain?

Chapter 17 holds 169 sentences of Leaves of Grass, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 169 sentences, grouped into 34 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 17 of Leaves of Grass?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Leaves of Grass

Common questions about reading Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Leaves of Grass?

Yes. All 4156 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1322 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Leaves of Grass is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1322, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Leaves of Grass take to read?

About 346 minutes of reading across 832 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Leaves of Grass section by section

How to work through Leaves of Grass section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of Leaves of Grass to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Leaves of Grass

Words and structures a reader meets early in Leaves of Grass, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

S-self
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Leaves of Grass; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Simple
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Leaves of Grass; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Separate
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Leaves of Grass; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Person
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Leaves of Grass; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.