Smartyfair
Stranger, if you passing meet me and desire to speak to me, why should you not speak to me? And why should I not speak to you?

Where these words come from

How sure this is
95% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up
To You, Inscriptions, Leaves of Grass (1891–1892 edition); Complete two-line public-domain poem inviting conversation with a stranger. Not the different, longer Whitman poem also titled To You. Small capitals normalized; edition text checked against the scholarly Whitman Archive.
Work
To You, Inscriptions, Leaves of Grass (1891–1892 edition)
Sources checked
  • whitmanarchive.orgChecked using manual, 20 October 2026To You, Inscriptions, Leaves of Grass (1891–1892 edition); Complete two-line public-domain poem inviting conversation with a stranger. Not the different, longer Whitman poem also titled To You. Small capitals normalized; edition text checked against the scholarly Whitman Archive.

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