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Overview
“I Hear America Singing” is a poem that Walt Whitman first published in 1860, as part of the third edition of his evolving poetry collection Leaves of Grass
. The poem centers on the conceit of the American nation as a chorus of varied voices, all singing together in gorgeous and ennobling harmony. The idealism on display in this poem soon fell prey to historical irony, since the American Civil War broke out just one year after Whitman published the poem. Even so, “I Hear America Singing” sounds a note of exuberant optimism that’s characteristic of much of Whitman’s poetry.Read the free full text, a summary & analysis, an analysis of the speaker, and explanations of important quotes from “I Hear America Singing.”
