"I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman: National Poetry Month Poem of the Day

Poem: “I Hear America Singing” – Whitman pays tribute to the people who make America great–its workers.

Brief Analysis – Singing is a metaphor for the goods and services produced by American workers. Whether you consider it a Marxist cry for the workers of the world to unite or a celebration of the Capitalistic notion that each man’s work is his own is open to interpretation (I lean to the latter). America is an example of synechdoche, with the whole representing the parts.

Takeaways

There are plenty of Whitman poems to teachWhitman’s poetry was revolutionary for its celebration of the common personIt’s ok to celebrate yourself

Links

Poetry Collections at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.comFigurative Language in Poetry Lesson PlanTheme in Poetry Lesson Plan Walt Whitman Page