Walt Whitman in "L.I.E."

This is a fragment of Walt Whitman's poetry "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" that appears in film L.I.E.

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"Demon or bird! (said the boy's soul,)
Is it indeed toward your mate you sing? or is it really to me?
For I, that was a child, my tongue's use sleeping, now I have heard you,
Now in a moment I know what I am for, I awake.

...

Never more the cries of unsatisfied love be absent from me,
Never again leave me to be the peaceful child I was before what
there in the night,
By the sea under the yellow and sagging moon,
The messenger there arous'd, the fire, the sweet hell within,
The unknown want, the destiny of me."

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• walt
• whitman
• michael
• cuesta
• paul
• dano
• brian
• cox
• poetry
• l.i.e.
• long
• island
• expressway

[elleoneiram]

woah

[therealmrszacefron]

yay paul

<3

haha

[DannyPurpleful]

Powerfully incredible better than Whitman himself ;) Quite agree ;)

[Jackman1ify]

Wow Beautiful :) Better than Whitman :)

[sleekchick76]

God hes so sexy! Paul dano. not the old guy :/ x

[littlevinnie18]

where can i find the full movie

[handelflesch]

Great scene! Great Whitman poem ("Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking")

[cyberplan03]

There are two pivotal scenes in the relationship between Big John and Howie--the first comes when Howie quotes Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself"--the second comes in the now-infamous straight razor scene.

[cyberplan03]

. Whitman is that most American of poets--one with an unflagging patriotism, a sense of blossoming self-awareness, and a surprisingly clear-eyed view of how the United States so often fails to live up to the promise of its creed. What was your intention in Howie's recitation of a portion of "Song of Myself"--his entire relationship with Big John seems to change at that point.

[cyberplan03]

Well, I was trying to think of what it would be that would knock John off his predatory feet. I was always trying to undermine his arrogant self-assurance with the humble facts of his life. His mother on the answering machine talking about his hemmoroids, his obviously deficient boyfriend--what did he really admire?

[cyberplan03]

So, I had Howie recite Whitman's paen to puberty, a poem I knew Big John would know well. And the loneliness, alienation and self-awareness it speaks of would lead John to think he and Howie were kindred spirits. And maybe they are. Nothing defangs a jungle cat as effectively as falling in love, and so it was here that John lost his power over the boy, and the boy, with perfect instincts, knew it. Both characters arc right here--a magical scene

[unanimous300]

Walt Whitman's poetry came to life in New Orleans.