A Poem for Labor Day

 

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 woodcutter'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.

Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" is one of the most famous poems from his Leaves of Grass volume of poems, published on July 4, 1855.  In this poem, Whitman salutes working-class people who take pride in their occupations. The poem appears in Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature, American Tradition. The complete audio is available at www.mirrorsandwindows.com.