I Hear America Singing Essay

Everyone is gifted with their own strengths, but the way one perceives these qualities is what makes a person unique. In “ I Hear America Singing”, Walt Whitman shows that the effort to view talents in a positive way and use them to create a better environment can bring unity. Walt Whitman was an American poet born in 1819 on Long Island, and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. Throughout his lifetime, Whitman had many occupations which helped to influence his writing. Walt Whitman began writing poetry after the Civil War because he believed Americans needed literature that was authentic and embodied the American voice. His poetry heavily influenced literature, and led to Whitman being one of America’s most significant poets from the 19th century. Walt

He uses a personification to show that a country can become one voice through their jobs. Whitman shares that he can “hear America singing, … each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,”(2) in order to create a unified nation. While the workers may not actually be singing, it shows that the different workers come together through their jobs and hard work to create America. By “Each singing what belongs to him or her,” the workers use their individual strengths to create unity within America. (9). Throughout the poem, Whitman lists different workers doing separate jobs to show that everyone in America is significant no matter how small of a job they are doing. Whitman’s writing shows that each member of the working class is learning to be independent and achieve the American dream. Even though working and making a living can be difficult, the workers attitude and positive outlooks on their jobs show that American life can be celebrated. In this poem, Whitman uses metaphor to show that the working class singing can be interpreted as workers overcoming adversity and using their strengths to make the best life for themselves in