I Hear America
Singing (1867)
BY WALT WHITMAN
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
I HEAR America singing, the varied
carols I hear;
Those of mechanics – each singing
his, as it should be, blithe and strong;
blithe – carefree, happy
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
The carpenter singing his, as he
measures his plank or beam,
plank – board or slat
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
The mason singing his, as he makes
ready for work, or leaves off work;
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
The boatman singing what belongs
to him in his boat – the deckhand
singing on the steamboat deck;
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
The shoemaker singing as he sits on
his bench – the hatter singing as he
stands;
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
The wood-cutter’s song – the
ploughboy’s, on his way in the
morning, or at the noon intermission,
or at sundown;
ploughboy – or plowboy; a person who guides animals with a
plough
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
The delicious singing of the mother
– or of the young wife at work – or
the girl sewing or washing – Each
singing what belongs to her, and to
none else;
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
The day what belongs to the day –
At night, the party of young fellows,
robust, friendly,
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman
Singing, with open mouths, their
strong melodious songs.
Purpose
 What
is the purpose of this poem?
Honoring
the pride and spirit of what
makes our country special
To reveal the real backbone of
America in the common workers
To embrace the true voice of
America through the common worker
Theme
a general idea expressed by a literary work.
There can be more than one theme in a work.
 Example—The theme of “The Tortoise and the
Hare” is that slow, steady effort triumphs over
natural but undeveloped talent.
 What are the themes in “I Hear America
Singing”?

 Work
 Visions
of America
 Art and Culture: Music
Tone

The feeling an author conveys to the reader. Tone
contributes to the overall mood of a work.


Example—Tone can be formal, serious, passionate,
lighthearted, witty, sarcastic, or any other general
expression of feeling.
What is the tone of this poem? What words convey this
tone?
Brotherly, admiring, grateful
 Robust, friendly, strong, blithe, belong, melodious, singing

Cataloguing

Creating long lists for poetic or rhetorical effect. The technique is common in epic
literature, where conventionally the poet would devise long lists of famous
princes, aristocrats, warriors, and mythic heroes to be lined up in battle and
slaughtered. The technique is also common in the practice of giving illustrious
genealogies ("and so-and-so begat so-and-so," or "x, son of y, son of z" etc.) for
famous individuals. An example in American literature is Whitman's multi-page
catalog of American types in section 15 of "Song of Myself." An excerpt appears
below:


The pure contralto sings in the organ loft,
The carpenter dresses his plank, the tongue of his foreplane whistles its wild ascending
lisp,
The married and unmarried children ride home to their Thanksgiving dinner,
The pilot seizes the king-pin, he heaves down with a strong arm,
The mate stands braced in the whale-boat, lance and harpoon are ready,
The duck-shooter walks by silent and cautious stretches,
The deacons are ordained with crossed hands at the altar,
The spinning-girl retreats and advances to the hum of the big wheel,
The farmer stops by the bars as he walks on a First-day loaf and looks at the oats and
rye,
The lunatic is carried at last to the asylum a confirmed case.... [etc.]
What exactly is it that Whitman catalogues in his poem “I Hear America Singing”?
Parallelism

Parallelism is the use of components in a sentence that are
grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound,
meaning, or meter. This method adds balance and rhythm to
sentences, giving the ideas a smoother flow. Parallelism can be
persuasive because of this balance, smoothness, and flow.
For example: “Whenever you need me, wherever you need me, I will
be there for you.”
 Another example: “Alice ran into the room, into the garden, and into
our hearts.”


Whitman uses parallelism to set up his cataloguing. What is the
parallel structure of the poem? How does this add to the sound of
the poem?
Worker + singing + description of what/where/how he/she is singing
 Adds rhythm

Free Verse

Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular
meter (tempo, pattern, beat, rhythm).

Why do you think Whitman chose free verse for
this poem?
 The
ease of the form fits the laid back nature of his
subjects – the working man.
 It reflects the way common people talk more so
than the strict structures of romantic poetry.