Friday, July 03, 2009

Poetry Friday - I Hear America Singing

With Independence Day just around the corner, I'm thinking about America. Here's one of my favorite poems about her.
I Hear America Singing
by Walt Whitman

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand
     singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter's song, the ploughboy's on his way in the morning, or
     at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of
     the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows,
     robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

The round up is being hosted by Tabatha A. Yeatts. Do stop by and take in all the great poetry being shared this week. Before you go be sure to check out this week's poetry stretch results.

5 comments:

  1. Love Uncle Walt, thanks for that.

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  2. This morning my youngest was belting out his own special nursery rhyme: "Mary had a little lamb, she left it all alone...". I wish he had sung it all the way through because I was dying to find out what happened to the lamb. Unfortunately he just kept repeating the first line over, and over, and over...

    I had to laugh. He also learned a song about echolocation from a computer game, and went skipping around the house singing about his "echo-vacation."

    "Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs."

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  3. The many, varied, incredible songs of America! Yes!

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  4. Thank you for this! It's time for me to get out my Whitman again.

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