Opinion: America is still a work in progress
250 years in, and America is still a work in progress. Many American poets have written hymns and howls, declarations and outcries for this country that brims with so many people, and so many hopes, from all over the world.
Walt Whitman’s ‘I Hear America Singing,’ written in the 1850s, celebrates the diverse voices of the working class and immigrants. Emma Lazarus’ ‘The New Colossus’ on the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal praises the nation as a sanctuary for the oppressed.
However, Langston Hughes’ 1949 poem ‘Freedom’ reminds us of the dark side of America’s history, where many Black families faced captivity, segregation, and violence. Shirley Geok-lin Lim’s 2017 poem ‘Learning to Love America’ explores the journey of immigrants in making the nation their own.
Despite 250 years, poets acknowledge that America is still imperfect, unsettled, and unfinished. Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s words from 1958 remain relevant: ‘I am waiting for a rebirth of wonder and I am waiting for someone to really discover America.’
