PA 14 Jeremy and Barb Syntax "I Hear America Singing"

Syntax in “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman




“I Hear America Singing” attempts to describe the wide variety and diversity of America’s workforce. Whitman’s idea is that this diversity is what makes America special. His use of anaphora with the constant repetition of the word “singing” provides evidence for the importance of this diversity.



In Walt Whitman’s poem “I Hear America Singing”, he uses a literary device of anaphora which is the “repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect” (anaphora). The specific anaphora that the poet uses are the words “the” and “singing” at the beginning of each line. The poet hears varied tones of all the working people who contribute to the life and culture of America. The mechanic singing, the carpenter singing, the mason singing, the boatman singing, and the shoemaker singing individually contributes to the nation as a whole. The singing of the mother, the wife, and the girl expresses their joy and feelings of their daily tasks. Whitman mentions how each individual sings about “what belongs to him or her” (9). From this we can conclude that his is a highly individualistic society of men and women. He also incorporates the use of catalogs consisting of a list of people which symbolizes the diversity of America’s work force and general laborers. The description of people singing simply means that they are happy to be working in a free America. The constant repetition of the word “singing” shows the poets emphasis of the workers being fortunate to have a job that they enjoy along with their basic attitude and love towards America. Whitman shifts from describing the tasks from grown- ups to describing the culture of young individuals. He says that they are beginning a life of partying, singing and dancing. This may indicate a shift from our culture from a more working oriented focus to a culture that focuses more on partying and celebration.



In closing, Whitman uses the word “singing” as a way to celebrate the opportunities that all American’s and immigrants have to achieving the American Dream. He also uses it as a tribute to everyday laborers which sometimes exaggerates the happiness of the 19th century but also reinforces that it is alright to rejoice with song and beverage after a long day of work.







Works Cited



“Anaphora”. Merriam-Webster. Web. 02 Nov. 2009.



Gillespie, Sheena, Tony Pipolo, and Terezinha Fonseca. Literature Across Cultures. New York. Pearson Education Inc. 2008. Print.