Created during Summer 2012

1. Literature PowerPoint

2. Techniques and Themes used in these poems
“I Hear America Singing” is a freeverse and it’s all about what people sing while working, while
“The Gift Outright” is about the land and how it was ours before we were the land’s and it is
also freeverse.

3. Lines from the poem
“I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear.”- “I Hear
America Singing”
“The land was ours before we were the land’s.”- “The Gift
Outright”
“She was our land for more than a hundred years.”- “The Gift
Outright”
“Those of mechanics, each one as it should be blithe and
strong.”- “I hear America Singing
“I hear the boatman singing what belongs to him on the
boat.”- “I hear America Singing”
“Before we were her people, she was ours.”- “The Gift
Outright”

4. “I Hear America Singing” lines
In the first quotation: “I hear America singing, the varied
carols I hear.”- “I Hear America Singing” it basically means
that people should be able to sing what ever they please to
sing. In the fourth quote: “Those of mechanics, each one as
it should be blithe and strong.”- “I hear America Singing” the
mechanics like to sing very strong and merry. In the fifth
quote: “I hear the boatman singing what belongs to him on
the boat.”- “I hear America Singing” it means that the
boatmen like to sing about what’s theirs.

5. “The Gift Outright” lines
In the third quote: “she was ours for more than a hundred
years” means that we had the land for a couple more years
than a hundred. In the second quote: “The land was ours
before we were the land’s.”- “The Gift Outright” it means that
we wanted the land before the land wanted us. In the sixth
quote: “Before we were her people, she was ours.”- “The Gift
Outright” we knew that she was going to be ours because of
our determination.

6. Summing It Up
In “I hear America Singing” the point of “The American
Dream” is freedom to sing whatever, wherever. The author
gets that across to the reader because he allows the
workers to sing. In “The Gift Outright” the point of “The
American Dream” is to value all people. The author gets
that out because he says in the work that we were the gifts.

7. “The American Dream”:
what I think and what the
authors think
What I think “The American Dream” is to believe in
whatever you want. I also think it’s wealth, freedom, and
success. What the authors think in “The Gift Outright”
valuing all people, and “I Hear America Singing” to sing
whatever you want wherever you want. I also think in “I
Hear America Singing” is these people that are singing like
to sing about their work and what they have. Meaning any
other form of self expression in songs.