Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing” (1860)
1819-1892
About the Author: The second of nine children, Whitman was born in 1819 on Long Island, New York, to Quaker parents. In
1823 the Whitmans moved to Brooklyn, where Whitman attended public school. At age eleven he left school to work as an
office boy in a law firm and then as a typesetter’s apprentice at a number of print shops. Although his family moved back to
Long Island in 1834, Whitman stayed in Brooklyn and then New York City to become a compositor. Unable to find work, he
rejoined his family on Long Island in 1836 and taught at several schools. In addition to teaching, Whitman started his own
newspaper, the Long Islander. He subsequently edited numerous papers for short periods over the next fourteen years,
including the New York Aurora and the Brooklyn Eagle, and published poems and short stories in various periodicals.
Whitman did little in terms of employment from the 1850 to 1855. Instead, he focused on his own work, writing and printing
the first edition of his collection of poems Leaves of Grass. Over the next few years, Whitman continued to write and briefly
returned to journalism. During the American Civil War he tended wounded soldiers in army hospitals in Washington, D.C.,
while working as a copyist in the army paymaster’s office. Following the war Whitman worked for the Department of the
Interior and then as a clerk at the Justice Department. He remained in this position until he suffered a paralytic stroke in 1873.
Although he lived nearly twenty more years and published four more editions of Leaves of Grass, Whitman produced little
significant new work following his stroke. He died in Camden, New Jersey, at age 72. (encyclopedia.com)
I Hear America Singing
(1) I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
(2) Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe
and strong,
(3) The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
(4) The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off
work,
(5) The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the
deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
(6) The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing
as he stands,
(7) The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the
morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
(8) The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at
work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
(9) Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
(10)The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young
fellows, robust, friendly,
(11) Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
Langston Hughes’ “I, Too, Sing America” (1945)
1902-1967
About the Author: Born in Joplin, Missouri, Langston Hughes was a member of an abolitionist family. Hughes attended
Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, but began writing poetry in the eighth grade, and was selected as Class Poet. His
father didn't think he would be able to make a living at writing, and encouraged him to pursue a more practical career. He
paid his son's tuition to Columbia University on the grounds he study engineering. After a short time, Langston dropped out
of the program with a B+ average; all the while he continued writing poetry. His first published poem was also one of his most
famous, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” Later, his poems, short plays, essays and short stories appeared in the NAACP
publication magazines.
One of Hughes' finest essays appeared in the Nation in 1926, entitled "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain". It spoke of
Black writers and poets, "who would surrender racial pride in the name of a false integration," where a talented Black writer
would prefer to be considered a poet, not a Black poet, which to Hughes meant he subconsciously wanted to write like a
white poet. Hughes argued, "No great poet has ever been afraid of being himself." He wrote in this essay, "We younger
Negro artists now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we
are glad. If they aren't, it doesn't matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too... If colored people are pleased we are glad.
If they are not, their displeasure doesn't matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, as strong as we know how and
we stand on the top of the mountain, free within ourselves." (http://www.redhotjazz.com/hughes.html)
I, Too, Sing America
(1) I, too, sing America,
(2) I am the darker brother.
(3) They send me to eat in the kitchen
(4) When company comes,
(5) But I laugh,
(6) And eat well,
(7) And grow strong.
(8) Tomorrow,
(9) I’ll be at the table
(10)When company comes.
(11) Nobody’ll dare
(12) Say to me,
(13) “Eat in the kitchen,"
(14)Then.
(15) Besides,
(16)They’ll see how beautiful I am
(17) And be ashamed—
(18)I, too, am America.