The Walt Whitman Archive
Published Works
Books by Whitman
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20.
1AMERICAN mouth-songs!
Those of mechanics—each one singing, his, as it
should be, blithe and strong,
should be, blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank
or beam,
or beam,
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The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work,
or leaves off work,
or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat
—the deck-hand singing on the steamboat deck,
—the deck-hand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench—the
hatter singing as he stands,
hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter's song—the ploughboy's, on his way
in the morning, or at the noon intermission, or at
sundown;
in the morning, or at the 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 her,
and to none else,
young wife at work—or of the girl sewing or
washing—Each singing what belongs to her,
and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—At night, the
party, of young fellows, robust, friendly, clean-
blooded, singing with melodious voices, melo-
dious thoughts.
party, of young fellows, robust, friendly, clean-
blooded, singing with melodious voices, melo-
dious thoughts.
2Come! some of you! still be flooding The States
with hundreds and thousands of mouth-songs,
fit for The States only.
with hundreds and thousands of mouth-songs,
fit for The States only.