1.) "I Hear America Singing"-- This is author Whitman's shout out to the backbone of America. My reading of this garnered a big round of applause. It's a lively, joyous, and very popular poem.
2.) "For You O Democracy"-- A beautiful, eloquent tribute to American ideals. This is loaded with vivid imagery that symbolizes the expansive geographic and demographic diversity of this great nation.
3.) "The Wound-Dresser"-- This is most definitely an anti-war selection. It's autobiographical, too. Whitman was a nurse in a Union Army field hospital during the Civil War and witnessed all the gore and tragedy war entails first-hand.
4.) "Long, too Long America"-- This is a short little piece that speaks to the resilience of the nation in the face of various crises. Needless to say, I felt it was apropo.
As a bonus, I will regale y'all with Whitman's signature poem. Please note the use of present-progressive-tense -ING verbs, which symbolize current events and forward social movement.
I Hear America Singing
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 deck-hand 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.
Source:
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass, Complete & Unabridged Collector's Library Edition, p. 35. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1855 & 2004.
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