Will Forrest

9/21/23

In the poem I Hear America Singing written by Walt Whitman and Behold the Dreamers

written by Imbolo Mbue, they both support the Idea of harnessing the American Dream and

living the American experience. In the Poem, Walt Whitman states to all of the working people

that “Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else (line 9, Whitman)”. What he is

trying to say is that whatever job you work in the working class, all of the melodies that people

sing, doing their own job, harmonize and create the America that we know today. This means

that whatever job you work in the working class, all of the melodies that people sing, doing their

own job, harmonize and create the America that we know today. This leads to the book Behold

the Dreamers where Jende wants to live here and get a job here. “We all do what we gotta do to

become American, abi?” This is because he wants to be a part of this working class that helps

shape America and for some this may be considered the American Dream which is what it

seemed like to Jende. This shows that the desire to be a citizen in America is still there and has

only gotten more severe. Everyone should have the chance to get their American dream in

whatever field of work people want. The poem I Hear America Singing written by Walt

Whitman and the book Behold The Dreamers written by Imbolo Mbue both harness the

American dream through showing us how all the jobs put together create America and the want

and will to become a part of this work force to shape America.