America’s Song I hear America singing, a statement that goes far back in history. According to Walt Whitman, he heard various songs by many Americans. Not everyone hears the same song or sings the same song. Langston Hughes sung a song of being free from segregation, and Thomas Jefferson heard a self-centered, melody song when writing the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, everyone has their own view of America, and because of them sharing their views I can share mines too. Walt Whitman heard and sung different views of everybody’s else opinion on America. He heard the mother singing a melodious, joyful tune to her child while the mechanic hums a tune while working on a car. Whitman states, “ Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else.” This means nobody can take away their own song and no one can have the same exact song. For example, in the poem, the carpenter sings a song as he measures the plank or beam, but the shoemaker will not have the same song as the carpenter because it isn’t the same opinion. Our songs will never be alike or similar which makes us our carols different, unique and distinct. Langston Hughes sung songs of equality, freedom, and respect for our race. In his poem, he states how the whites discriminate against us and are ashamed to even have a black brother in their presence. Langston Hughes states, “They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—I, too, am America.” This means one day they will be ashamed that they discriminated our race and shocked to see our race isn’t just about a darker skin color. Langston Hughes makes it quite obvious that every man should be equal no matter what color of skin he or she has. Thomas Jefferson heard a selfish song dedicated to his race, and not America as a whole. Although he may have written that “We hold these truths to be self-evident: all men