O You Whom I Often and Silently Come

O You Whom I Often and Silently Come - meaning Summary

Quiet, Intimate Presence

The poem presents a speaker who habitually seeks quiet proximity to a beloved, lingering nearby in ordinary shared spaces. It conveys intense, private emotion—an "electric" inner feeling—that the addressee does not perceive. The language compresses longing and intimate observation into a brief moment, emphasizing unspoken attachment and the speaker's need to be near more than to speak or act. It fits Whitman’s broader exploration of personal connection in Leaves of Grass.