I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman

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I Hear America Singingby Walt Whitman
Feature Menu
Introducing the Poem Literary Focus Catalog
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I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
Construction of the Dam by William Gropper
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I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
I hear America singing . . .
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I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
This poem celebrates the unique songs expressed
by the labors of ordinary workerspeople who

• take pride in their occupations

• go about their work with a spirit of joy

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I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
A New Nation Prospers Even while tensions between
the North and South were building toward civil
war, the mid- 1800s were a time of tremendous
growth and prosperity in the United States.
Click here for the rest of this story.
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I Hear America Singing Literary Focus Catalog
Whitmans poetry is filled with catalogslong
lists of related things, people, or events.
Whitmans use of catalogs

• celebrates the endless variety of people, things,
  and experiences

• creates a kind of rhythm built on repetition

To hear the effect of cataloging, read aloud I
Hear America Singing and other Whitman poems in
your textbook.
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I Hear America SingingQuickwrite
Make the Connection
This famous poem appears near the beginning of
Leaves of Grass and introduces one of the poets
major themesthe tremendous variety and
individuality in American life. Whitman
celebrates American enterprise in all its forms
through the varied carols, or songs, of men and
women who take pride in their occupations. Why do
you think a poet who celebrates America would
focus on work songs? List a few of the jobs you
would expect to be celebrated in an American epic
written today.
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Meet the Writer
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I Hear America SingingMeet the Writer
Walt Whitman sent some of his poems to Ralph
Waldo Emerson, who pronounced them
extraordinary. He also guessed that Whitmans
impressive start as a poet had a long
foreground. Mostly self-educated, Whitman held
many jobs before focusing on poetry.
More About the Writer
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