I Hear America Singing

I Hear America Singing

by Walt Whitman

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

Meanings of I Hear America Singing

The poem “I Hear America Singing” shows Whitman’s patriotism. The poem revolves around the main ideas of patriotism, love for America, and love for Americans, with the minor themes of unity and faith.

Meanings of Lines 1-4

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,

The first person speaker, who happens to be Walt Whitman himself, states that he hears America singing through multiple litanies. However, these litanies include the song of mechanics, carpenters, and masons that they sing through their work, such as mechanics when they are happy and strong and carpenter when he is working with their planks or mason when he is ready for work or away from work. In fact, Whitman means that every common person is an American, and if they are happy and singing, then the whole of America is happy and singing. This is the subtopic of unity couched in patriotism.

Meanings of Lines 5-7

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,

Walt Whitman further states that boatmen, shoemakers, and wood-cutters are also singing and showing that America is happy. He states that the boatman is singing because he is happy with his boat docked somewhere on the deck of that steamboat and happy with his lot. Similarly, he states that the shoemaker is also happy when sitting on his bench or standing near it. Even a woodcutter, who happens to be a playboy, is also happy whether he is going somewhere in the morning, returning, or taking a nap at noon. All these voices join a single voice which is America. It means that if all common professionals are happy with their lot in America, they sing and make America resound. These verses add further to the main idea of patriotism and the happiness associated with it.

Meanings of Lines 8-11

The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

Whitman recounts the happiness of several other people, including the mother, young wife, or the girl who are engaged in their respective works. He concludes that if every one of them is singing about their work, possessions, and things, it means they are not singing for anything else. Even if it is their day and they are paying tribute to it by singing and others such as young people singing melodies at night at parties with their mouths wide open, it means America is happy as all others in it are happy. These verses further add to the main idea of patriotism, freedom, and happiness. It also completes the main idea of unity as all voices merge into a single voice which is America.

Summary of I Hear America Singing

  • Popularity of “I Hear America Singing”: This poem is written by Walt Whitman, a renowned American poet, essayist, and journalist. I Hear America Singing is one of the best-known poems about liberation. It was first published in 1860 in Leave of Grass. The poem speaks about the happiness of people belonging to various professions. It illustrates how America offers them a place to live freely. More importantly, the poem is written to acknowledge the work of common people to bring the dignity of labor. The poem shows individuality in the community as they live together while working in their fields.
  • “I Hear America Singing” As a Representative of Joy: This poem is written to express the importance of every type of jobs. Also, the poet praises the American working class and acknowledges their significant role in American society. He talks about the carpenters, woodcutters, masons, boatmen, and mechanics. He elaborates on how they enjoy their work and play a pivotal role in the progress of the country. Even mothers, young wives, and girls express their joy as they also sing while performing their duties. Thus, every person is contributing individually to make America a happy place.
  • Major Themes in “I Hear America Singing”: Freedom, growth, and dignity are the major themes of this poem. The poem speaks about the freedom people enjoy in America. Throughout the poem, everyone has their own song, which means everyone is important. Every working people contribute to the growth of America or any country they live in.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in I Hear America Singing

literary devices are tools used by writers to convey their emotions, ideas, and themes to make texts more appealing to the reader.  Walt Whitman also used some literary devices in this poem to bring depth in her text. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is given below.

  1. Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /i/ in “The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam”.
  2. Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /s/ in “The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam”.
  3. Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession such as the sound of /h/ in “Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else”.
  4. Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. The entire poem is imagery because it describes the activity of each working men and women. The reader can visualize each profession while reading.
  5. Personification: Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. For example, “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear.” America is personified as if it can sing like a human.
  6. Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. Here, “Singing” symbolizes oneness, dignity, and freedom.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in I Hear America Singing

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

  1. Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. The poem comprises only one stanza having eleven lines in it.
  2. Free Verse: Free Verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free-verse poem with no strict rhyme scheme or metrical

Quotes to be Used

The lines stated below are suitable for expressing happiness. You may also quote this line as an invitation for friends to sing during a party.

“The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.”