The PVS Upper-School American Literature class is half-dragging, half-dancing through the American Transcendentalists. I shared with them Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing.” Then, I asked, What do you hear singing? Junior Gabriel Rodriguez-Portugues had a delightfully surprising response. I share here Whitman’s list o’ singers; then, you get Gabriel’s. — Ms. Zachik, Blog Advisor, English Teacher
I Hear America Singing
By Walt Whitman
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 deckhand 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.
____________________
I hear something singing
By Gabriel Rodriguez-Portugues
I hear teachings of historical people who I don’t think about;
I hear a teacher singing about math equations that I just don’t want to hear;
I hear younger, contemporary, or older people talking about things that I either care about or don’t care about;
I don’t exactly hear what Whitman hears;
But there is so much singing that sometimes I can’t keep up.
