Although the definitions of America and her culture are as diverse as her people, common characteristics pop up time and time again whenever someone defines what America stands for. Across the world, people know America to be the greatest democracy and nation the world has ever seen. To arrive at such a spot in the world stage has taken its toll on the country itself; the United States struggled through slavery and the Civil War, a Great Depression, and numerous other difficult situations. Additionally, American oftentimes feel the urge to freely express themselves through mediums and methods. All these aspects of the great country seep into the literature and art of America. Hence, not surprising these elements of America reemerged in the works of the early American poet, Walt Whitman. …show more content…
For Whitman, “democracy represent[ed] the ideal form of government”(). This belief shows itself in the poem “For You O Democracy” when Whitman claims that democracy “will make the continent dissoluble” and “will make inseparable cities”(). Democracy, one of the key principles found in American government, clearly embodies and American value. By including it in his poetry, Whitman’s poetry becomes more American as it reflects the atmosphere and spirit of the country. Furthermore, Whitman clearly relates this to America by comparing the companionship democracy creates with the “thick[ness] [of] trees along all the rivers of America ”(). Writing about the topic of democracy and its influence on America while simultaneously discussing the unique American landscape in the poem makes Whitman’s work American. Writing in free-verse allowed Whitman to express himself and to display the American spirit. The usage of free verse is evident in the first four lines of Whitman’s “ I Hear America Singing”:
I hear America singing, the varied carols I