Writing an original poem in the style of Walt Whitman’s “I Hear
America Singing”/Mrs. Breaux
This poem will be graded as a quiz grade.
Poetry Assignment
Write a poem in which you imagine many people in different places engaged in activities all at the same moment. Make sure that,
like Whitman, you tell exactly what each person is doing (The carpenter ... measures his plank or beam / The shoemaker ... sits on
his bench). Feel free, instead of professions, to identify people by name.
To receive full credit:





The poem must be exactly 12 lines
The poem must repeat the word “singing” in each line to create repetition and rhythm
The poem’s first line should be very similar to Whitman’s and the poem’s last line should be very similar to Whitman’s
The body of the poem is up to you. You need to give your image of America through your unique vision…
The poem should celebrate the every person…the people you see around you on a daily basis that you may not notice or
appreciate. It should positive and driven by action (as opposed to internal thoughts...). This poem should not be satirical or
tongue in cheek
For example:
I hear America singing, the varied tunes I hear.
Those of teachers, each one singing as she grades her many essays,
The business woman singing as she completes her expense report,
The nanny singing as she prepares lunch for the children,
The grocery store clerk singing as she greets each customer and scans each item,
And so on….you get the point.
When you finish writing your poem, attach a written, reflective paragraph explaining why you wrote it, why it is significant and what
is says about you and your world (the people you notice on a daily basis). This paragraph should be a 1/3 of a page long.
Writing an original poem in the style of Walt Whitman’s “I Hear
America Singing”/Mrs. Breaux
This poem will be graded as a quiz grade.
Poetry Assignment
Write a poem in which you imagine many people in different places engaged in activities all at the same moment. Make sure that,
like Whitman, you tell exactly what each person is doing (The carpenter ... measures his plank or beam / The shoemaker ... sits on
his bench). Feel free, instead of professions, to identify people by name.
To receive full credit:





The poem must be exactly 12 lines
The poem must repeat the word “singing” in each line to create repetition and rhythm
The poem’s first line should be very similar to Whitman’s and the poem’s last line should be very similar to Whitman’s
The body of the poem is up to you. You need to give your image of America through your unique vision…
The poem should celebrate the every person…the people you see around you on a daily basis that you may not notice or
appreciate. It should positive and driven by action (as opposed to internal thoughts...). This poem should not be satirical or
tongue in cheek
For example:
I hear America singing, the varied tunes I hear.
Those of teachers, each one singing as she grades her many essays,
The business woman singing as she completes her expense report,
The nanny singing as she prepares lunch for the children,
The grocery store clerk singing as she greets each customer and scans each item,
And so on….you get the point.
When you finish writing your poem, attach a written, reflective paragraph explaining why you wrote it, why it is significant and what
is says about you and your world (the people you notice on a daily basis). This paragraph should be a 1/3 of a page long.