In 1860, Walt Whitman published the third edition of his evolving poetry collection, Leaves of Grass. Included in this edition of the work was a short new poem titled “I Hear America Singing,” which features a speaker who invokes the notion of America as a great chorus. This chorus consists of many “varied carols” (line 1), each sung by individual men and women who dutifully ply their trades and make distinct contributions to the growing nation. According to the speaker, each individual’s song is “strong” and “melodious” (line 11). As such, the many individual voices blend together into a great, collective harmony that would seem to admit no dissonant notes. The apparent lack of dissonance in America’s swelling song clearly indicates the speaker’s optimism about the possibilities of the nation. Yet some readers may find the speaker’s affirming tone excessively idealistic, particularly given the fact that Whitman wrote the poem on the eve of the American Civil War. Even as the nation threatened to be rent in two over the question of slavery, Whitman has his speaker assert a sense of equality and unity of purpose. Under these conditions, the reader must decide whether the speaker’s optimism is warranted.

Take a Study Break