Preview

Appreciation of I Hear American Singing

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
282 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Appreciation of I Hear American Singing
Appreciation of I Hear America Singing
I Hear America Singing is a poem written by Walt Whitman, who was an American poet, essayist and journalist. He was in the period of the transition of transcendentalism and realism, and his works were incorporated with both views. Meanwhile, Whitman was the father of free verse. I Hear America Singing was published in 1860, in which Whitman depicted a concert of his fellow Americans.

This poem is in free verse form, which means there is no rhyme or a fixed rhythm. However, this poem showed Whitman's praise to democracy with impressive repetition and a wide range of characters, ranging from mechanics to shoemaker, from carpenter to mother. All of them were singing his or her own song. In this poem, the poet not only mentioned the job of different people, but also roughly introduced what they actually did about their jobs. From the depiction, we can see that all these workers, no matter what job they were undertaking, came together as a part of the whole society, pushing the whole society forward, and the country was in harmony, because everyone had their job to do.

Personally, I reckon that Whitman tried to express that all of the people of America working in their specific occupation, gathered together for the development of the whole society. They found pleasure from what they were doing and that was what they were singing. Apart from this, this poem is quite optimistic and uplifting, which is manifested in the description of the job--sewing or washing---even the simplest they still sang for it. Also, Whitman complimented these people who were hardworking enjoy their fruits and labors at

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    As I read selected Walt Whitman’s poems I felt as if I was reading unfinished work. For example in the poem, “When I Heard the Learned Astronomer” it was very clear on what he was talking about. However, it felt to me as if he had received writers block. The poem could have gone on for a couple of more stanzas. I am no poem expert, but I feel as if the poem could have gotten into more details about the stars, and the astronomer. However, that is just me. Another one of his poems, “I Hear America Singing” was another beautifully written piece. However, once again, I felt as if it was not finished. He goes through each occupation with ease and briefly gives an overview of what they “sing.” To me, Whitman would have made an intriguing poem if…

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Whitman make it clear that he loves women and mothers. He's by people being prudent and insecure. He sing the song of "pride" and celebration. He identify with the fact that his point of view is unusual and different, but he believes people need to get over their individual tensions.…

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The poem, “Song of Myself,” is written in first person. Throughout the plot, the narrator mention “I,” and “myself,” and for deeper self, he called “Me Myself” and the “Soul.” Also, he shares his idea of self, universe, religion, sex, and political beliefs with readers, addressing as “You,” in the poem with the 1st person narrative.. The poet gives his name “Walt Whitman.” in section 24 of “Song of Myself,” which is not usual. It does not mean that the narrator is the biographical Walt Whitman who wrote the poem, but the character “Walt Whitman,” comes from real Whitman’s dream. However, when the character, Whitman, is portrays himself by explaining atmosphere in detail, it makes readers to think that other person describe him instead observing himself alone. This is because, when the poet mentions his name, the readers make separations between the character “Whitman” in poem which is the narrator, and the poet “Whitman.” This causes the readers to start putting themselves on the narrator’s shoes, that is consistantly addressing as “I” in the poem. Also, When the narrator is described himself, it is very descriptive like a flaneur.…

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    These two poems are different though too. First the poem “I Hear America Singing” By Walt Whitman is all happy, and he is explaining in the poem how the people of America in their daily lives, enjoying America. Also in that poem Walt Whitman is saying how America is such a great, beautiful place.…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Walt Whitman's "I hear America Singing" and Langston Hughes's "Let America be America Again" are both similar and different in many ways. The two poems have similar themes, but different styles. The purposes are not alike in any way, they are both trying to portray different issues and topics.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Imagine a world where prejudice and racism filled the streets of the world. While this is not the world we live in today, it was a part of the world in the 20th century. People would have been treated differently based on how they look. They were yet still of apart of america. This was life for the speaker in the poem “I too sing america” by Langston Hughes. It spoke about the different hardships that african americans had coming to the US and being treated as property with no regard to your feelings. Langston Hughes cited Walt whitman as his greatest influence for his poems. Many people believe he wrote his poem “I too sing america in response to Whitman's “I hear america singing.” Whitman's poem talks about how each person contributes…

    • 1061 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even though, “ I, Too” and “I Hear America Singing” both explore the idea of racial inequality, they are conflicting towards each other because of the perspective each poem is written in. For instance, “ I, Too” is written in the perspective of an African-American man, whereas the perspective of “I Hear America Singing” is seen from a Caucasian point of view. Hughes states, “ I am the darker brother” (line 2) and “But I laugh,/ And eat well,/ And grow strong.”(lines 5-7). Contrarily to Hughes declaration of not being hindered, Whitman writes “mechanics” (line 2), “the carpenter singing”(line 3), “the mason singing” (line 4), “the boatman singing” and “the deckman singing” (line 5), “the shoemaker singing” (line 6). These lines written by…

    • 239 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The poems "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman, and "I, Too Sing America" by Langston Hughes are two poems both written in the late 1800's/ early 1900's. They both have an everlasting effect on America and inspirational values, but they vary in topics.…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The poems I Hear America Singing and I, Too, Sing America are both very different. I Hear America Singing is a joyful poem of some people who make up America and them all singing. This poem says that being an American is joyful because everyone one sings carols. I, Too, Sing America is about how this man much eat in the kitchen when guest arrive because he is black. This poem says that being American should give you the right to eat with everyone one else because like he says in his poem “I, too, am American.”…

    • 317 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    If you could sing while you worked, that meant that you are satisfied with your days work and had pride in being a part of America's success. Langston Hughes wrote, “ Let America be America again,” he may may have thought that most people are living in poverty and trying there best to get out but they were getting all the hard work and little pay. They are both are different in style because, Whitman's poem is a free verse, but Hughes is a standard rhyme poem. “I hear America singing” is praising individuals and liberties that make America great. “ Let America be America Again” is frustrated over individuals who feel excluded, because they can't get the same opportunities. the tone of Whitman is patriotic, because they were happy the be America's success. Hughes tone is frustrated, because not everyone could the same opportunities as the…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Walt Whitman’s poem, Song of Myself, I found different key pieces of Whitman’s diction and language to be more in depth and not so cut, black and white. This poem really makes you think by giving you different perspectives of life to wonder about through the use of his words. I have gotten the impression that Whitman really values himself and his beliefs of a good world and being alive in the present is worthwhile to him. His words are very powerful, thoughtful and even strong enough to change somebodies view of how they see the world. Whitman includes inspirational, yet erotic views of how he feels for his soul and the life around him.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    American Voice Analysis

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Evidence of hard work is mentioned in Walt Whitman's speech in various places. For example, in line 5 of his speech he mentions, "The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands. (Whitman 5)" This direct quote supports the idea of hard working americans because in the quote it mentions how joyful and happy the shoemaker is as he's working. "The Delicious singing of a mother, or a young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing (Whitman 8)," Whitman sets the tone of pride when he mentions that females also work as…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The poem “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes is a direct response to Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing”. Whitman's poem is about those who make up America and he says how each worker sings their work, loud and proud. However, this does not include colored folks. Hughes, in his poem, states, “I, too, sing America./ I am the darker brother./ They send me to eat in the kitchen”.…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Walt Whitman Vs Emerson

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Whitman describes himself as “the mate and companion of people, all just as immortal and fathomless as myself, (They do not know how immortal, but I know.)” (Song of Myself) This passage has many meanings to different people and shows Whitman’s desire to influence all people, despite their possible lack of knowledge. Despite this intertwined relationship with people, Whitman claims that all the different aspects of society, negative and positive, “are not the Me myself.” (Whitman) Unlike Emerson, Whitman seems to accept the world for what it is rather than prescribing definitive solutions. Instead of insisting on a formula of how to achieve the ideal self, Whitman says, “I have no chair, no church, no philosophy, I lead no man to a dinner table, library, exchange, but each man and each woman of you I lead upon a knoll, my left hand hooking you round the waist, my right hand pointing to landscapes of continents and the public road. Not I, not anyone else can travel that road for you, you must travel it yourself”. (Whitman) This passage insists on the simplicity of life. Whitman suggests that no proper guidance is needed to travel the journey of life for yourself. Again, he comes off as a personable figure, in accord with his community. His inclusion of females in this passage also reveal his tolerance. This notion of inclusion and equality is furthered when he says, “of…

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Whitman, Walt. “Song of Myself.” The Norton Anthology of America Literature, 1865-1914. Ed. Nina Bayem. Vol C. 626-634. New York, London. 2007. Print.…

    • 1260 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays