A Singing America

Walt Whitman's "I hear America Singing" is a very joyous celebration of the idea of "America." Whitman portrays several people performing everyday jobs, but doing so happily. Just the fact that they are doing these jobs, such as carpentering, boating, shoe making, and wood-cutting, helps for a better, stronger tomorrow on American soil, as far as Whitman is concerned.

I do not think that these workers are actually singing, I believe Whitman used singing more as a metaphor to express the joy of everyday labor that is necessary for America to function. Sadly this love of hard labor is all but gone today. People today seem to shun the idea of labor, that it is for poor, ignorant people, and that it is something they should not have to do. Based off of this poem, Whitman would probably cry tears of sorrow if he heard of this mentallity common among so many Americans today that he loves.

An interesting quote I got from the poem is, "Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else." It struck me rather hard because it sounds like the speaker is saying that the art of shoe making is the shoemaker's, and no one else. It is their gift, and no one can take it from them. It is a rather powerful statement that I believe can benefit many people today if they looked at their work like that. Instead, most people generally despise their jobs, performing it out of necessity rather than desire.

To wrap things up, when I read this poem I immediately thought of one song done by the group Metallica. Listening to it, I wonder if Whitman would find it to be a glorious example of America today, or would he shun it as an insult to the idea of "America?" Here is the song, and just to warn you all, there are several curse words within the lyrics. Viewer discretion is advised!