All 6 Uses of
defile
in
Leaves of Grass
- And if those who defile the living are as bad as they who defile the dead?†
Chpt 4 *defile = to spoil the beauty or purity of something
- And if those who defile the living are as bad as they who defile the dead?†
Chpt 4
- And you, paid to defile the People—you liars, mark!†
Chpt 20
- Jauntily forward they went with quick step toward Gowanus' waters,
Till of a sudden unlook'd for by defiles through the woods, gain'd at night,
The British advancing, rounding in from the east, fiercely playing
their guns,
That brigade of the youngest was cut off and at the enemy's mercy.†Chpt 21defiles = spoils the beauty or purity of something
- Give me the pay I have served for,
Give me to sing the songs of the great Idea, take all the rest,
I have loved the earth, sun, animals, I have despised riches,
I have given aims to every one that ask'd, stood up for the stupid
and crazy, devoted my income and labor to others,
Hated tyrants, argued not concerning God, had patience and indulgence
toward the people, taken off my hat to nothing known or unknown,
Gone freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young,
and with the mothers of families,
Read these leaves to myself in the open air, tried them by trees,
stars, rivers,
Dismiss'd whatever insulted my own soul or defiled my body,
Claim'd nothing to mys†Chpt 23defiled = spoiled the beauty or purity of something
- I saw the interminable corps, I saw the processions of armies,
I saw them approaching, defiling by with divisions,
Streaming northward, their work done, camping awhile in clusters of
mighty camps.†Chpt 24defiling = spoiling the beauty or purity of something
Definitions:
-
(1)
(defile as in: it was defiled) to spoil the beauty or purity of somethingin various senses, including:
- pollute a pristine lake
- harm a reputation or good name
- damage or disrespect something sacred
- take a person's virginity in a disrespectful way
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
More rarely (but not uncommon in classic literature), defile can refer to a narrow valley or a march or passage through one.