# This Moment Yearning and Thoughtful explained — Leaves of Grass

> Chapter companion for Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.

## What happens

The narrator sits alone in a moment of yearning and reflection, imagining kindred spirits across the globe—in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, China, Russia, and Japan—and expresses a deep conviction that if they could meet, they would become brethren and lovers, united in happiness.

## Themes in this chapter

### Comradeship and Love

The narrator yearns for brotherly love and attachment with men from all nations, envisioning a universal bond of brethren and lovers.

### Democracy and Equality

The poem asserts an equal, affectionate connection between the narrator and men of diverse lands, transcending borders and dialects.

## Character check-ins

### Narrator

Sits alone, yearning and thoughtful, imagining connection with men worldwide.

## Key lines

> This moment yearning and thoughtful sitting alone, It seems to me there are other men in other lands yearning and thoughtful

In this moment of longing and reflection while sitting by myself, I imagine that elsewhere men in distant countries are also longing and thinking.

_Establishes the universal, empathetic connection the narrator feels with strangers across the world._

> O I know we should be brethren and lovers, I know I should be happy with them.

Oh, I am certain we would become brothers and dear friends, and I would find joy in their company.

_Climactic expression of the poem's vision of global comradeship and love._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters/this-moment-yearning-and-thoughtful
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leaves_of_grass_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters