Let it be = call to action + implies a discontent with America’s current state => representative of
America not being what it is at the time.
● Interaction with the title: “Let America be America again” -> need to return to
past state
● “Let be” -> optative constructuion = request
○ To whom is it requesting that America be America again (who is not
allowing America to be America again)?
○ Someone/something is keeping America from being America again =>
optative for permission -> relaxation of confines i.e ending America’s
current state of affairs.
● (America never was America to me) => the parentheses vs main text =
conversation between the two voices
○ Italicized stanza = Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?And who
are you that draws your veil across the stars?
■ Two different speakers: Voice 1 questions Voice 2 about who he is
that mumbles in the dark.
● Voice 2: Who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
○ Voice 1: Let America be America (idea?) again
■ Pioneer on plain => the dream (seeking a home where he himself
is free)
● Possibly white immigrant searching for freedom, or
perhaps
● Additionally, to not be under the control of absolute
political power
■ America and America connects “never” and “again”
■ Strong land of love (for whom?)
■ Future tense
○ Voice 2: No optative request, rather an indicative stating that “America
was never America to me” ■ Explicit statement referring to oneself as opposed to the request =>
1st Person
■ Past tense
■ Parenthesized (i.e marginalized?)
● Dialectic format:
○ Thesis => antithesis => synthesis
○ A -> B -> A’
○ This is modeled in the poem => alternation of thesis and antithesis, +
confrontation, the rest is synthesis = A’