Critical Analysis Of I Hear America Singing

Whitman was a true patriot. His life in America during the Civil war and later his work with the government inspired him to write several poems about the true American experience; I Hear America Singing is one of these poems. It is about hard working blue collar Americans and their valuable contribution to society that keeps our country moving forward. Whitman places an emphasis on the fact that each workman can have pride in what he does, even if he doesn’t get rich.
This poem dramatizes the theme of hard working Americans. It describes blue collar workers and the individual songs they sing. Their song defines their profession, and includes the tools used to complete their task. The poet loves blue collar American workers and demonstrates …show more content…
The poem starts out by announcing that the speaker hears singing and every song is distinct. Making it clear that there will be variations in the songs that follow. The free verse styling and the anaphora phrasing are apparent throughout the poem. The poet incorporates a listing format, with similar phraseology at the beginning of each line in the poem, but by substituting various professions in the first few words of each line, “The carpenter singing”, and “The mason singing”, it allows the end of the sentence to flow, becoming more complex as the poem progresses. Some believe that Whitman “modeled the cadence of his free verse on the Bible” (Whitman and Boccard 1), but what is certain is that this format removes the rhyme that we have all come to expect in a poem, and replaces it with rhythm. The poetic styling of Whitman and his obvious love for the subject matter is what gives this poem its timeless …show more content…
When he states “I hear America singing” it leads the reader to consider that America is an actual person. When the poem presents a “carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam”, and when he introduces women’s contribution to the strength of America by including “The delicious singing of the mother”, and “The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat”. The significance of this personification is taken further by the poet because he lists professions that produce goods essential to all Americans. Manual labor is not glamourous, it is hard back breaking work, but the sing song rhythm of this poem about blue collar work leaves the reader feeling patriotic, appreciative, and cheerful.
The poet cleverly uses singing as the connection between individuals, their professions, and everyday Americans. He uses the repetition at the beginning of each line to drive momentum throughout the poem. Each workers individual song is comprised of dissimilar voices and lyrics. By linking the various workers and their tools into an abstract symphony, the poet is literally, and metaphorically representing the harmonious vision the founders craved for our