I Hear America Singing Figurative Language

Evie Bedrick

Ms. Leininger

Language Arts Period 7

2 February 2018

Poetry Assessment

For many people the American dream is to pursue happiness. Something that has been in the country for decades. It gives people the hope and an optimistic attitude toward the brighter future. In “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman and “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes, both explore the theme of the American dream. Both poets use literary devices such as allusion, extended metaphor, symbolism, and repetition to display that America is a song in which where the people have an important part to sing. Both authors use figurative language however Walt Whitman praises the situation of individual efforts of Americans whereas Langston Hugh focuses on the collective struggle by African Americans.

He establishes this through metaphor in the first line when he says, “varied carols” which represents the different voices of people singing in America. When Whitman writes about the carpenter singing “as he measures his plank or beam or the mason, boatman, the shoe maker, the wood cutter, the mother are all singing as they work throughout the day. By writing this he illustrates that each singing worked is different; no two people are doing the same thing. This suggest that the people are not singing the same song, but they do all share one thing- a dream of a better future. Whitman also use repetition by beginning every line with the working class folks “singing” in his or her unique way and repeats the structure to suggest the feeling of harmony. The chorus shows how everyone is ultimately working towards their American