To a Stranger

To a Stranger - fact Summary

From Leaves of Grass

This poem is included in Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. It takes the form of a direct address to an unknown passerby, fitting Whitman’s broader practice in Leaves of Grass of collapsing distance between poet and reader and celebrating democratic kinship. Knowing the poem’s placement in that collection helps readers expect an inclusive, conversational voice that treats a stranger as an equal and fellow American.